Intellectual Property Expert Group
Intellectual Property Expert Group
In an old (2013) IPEG post, “Does every artist have to be a Picasso?” we discussed the number of publications ranking lawyers and IP professionals, announcing them as the “top” lawyer in such-and-so, or a “top” IP professional in such-and-so…
The role that intellectual property (IP) plays in startup valuations is a critical issue for startups and investors alike. It can guide the IP strategy of a startup, as well as impact investment decisions and valuation considerations. This article aggregates…
Trade secrets constitute an important part of a company’s IP portfolio and they are generally any practice or process not known outside of the company. Specifically, for a practice or process of a company to be considered a trade secret…
We constantly rate things. A motion picture rating system is designated to classify films with regard to suitability for audiences in terms of issues such as sex, violence, substance abuse, profanity, impudence or other types of mature content. A credit…
In view of the coronavirus pandemic, many countries and NGOs have suggested the use of compulsory licensing to increase the supply of coronavirus vaccines. Although such suggestions are no doubt well-intended, it is questionable whether such an approach is the…
Many companies with a meaningful or substantial number of patents in their portfolio organize their portfolio by means of a so-called Patent Review Board, a formal review meeting, the purpose of which is to evaluate inventions, to determine which ones…
Licenses are a type of contract that details the terms of a bargain between involved parties. Corporations use licenses as a way of standardizing and memorializing terms and conditions between parties. This article focuses on two specific types of licenses—FRAND…
The Lord of the Rings trilogy ends in suitably spectacular fashion with a battle scene following the retreat of all the good people to “Helms Deep,” a tall stone fortress built into the recess of a massive rock mountain. Seemingly…
Since the European Patent Convention (EPC) is not an EU instrument, it (and the rights of UK-based patent attorneys to represent applicants at the EPO) has not been affected by Brexit. European Patents with a UK designation will continue to…
“The Case for Restoring Inventors’ Rights” David Wanetick’s seventh book on patents touches on the inequality of arms between the inventor and the institutions meant to uphold the patent system and large patent holders. He starts by recognizing that the…
The airline British Airways has been fined £20m by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a data breach that affected more than 400,000 customers. The data breach took place in 2018 and affected both personal and credit card data.…
The purpose of this blog is to ‘join the dots’ between a director’s fiduciary duties and especially a person holding dual or multiple directorships and trade secrets. I was prompted to write this short paper by a) the clear lack…
An NDA is a legal agreement between a company and a counter-party of that company to exchange information, for the purpose of a project, a licensing opportunity, marketing campaign, R&D or sourcing etc. Examples of information which can be protected…