IAM’s greatest hits of 2021 – month by month

IAM ends the year with more subscribers than ever before and renewal rates at their highest ever levels. We have also been able to return to live events, having hosted IPBC Europe in Dublin in October and, a month later, IPBC Global in Seattle.

Looking more in-depth at the performance of the IAM platform, internal data produced by our parent company Law Business Research shows that during the year we posted 1,477 pieces of content and enjoyed visits from 152,634 unique users. The map below tells the geographical tale of where they were based.

As for the items that attracted most attention from our subscribers, below you can see the top five editorial pieces from each month of the year in descending order of reads.

JANUARY

1. Exclusive: RPX and Intellectual Ventures ink landmark licensing deal
2. VVC patents are setting the secondary market on fire
3. Ericsson's fight with Samsung will end in a deal but the rise of China's courts adds a complex new dynamic
4. Failed attempt to back a single patent pool for VVC leaves operators with a choice of two
5. Oppo’s patent focus: smaller deals, younger rights and future standards

FEBRUARY

1. No UK withdrawal from the EPO despite plan to join CPTPP, says government spokesperson
2. A familiar face takes key Senate IP role while USPTO director race is said to tighten
3. In search for new USPTO head, diversity is emerging as a major factor
4. IEEE opens review of controversial patent policy
5. As technology demystifies IP, money will flow into the space like never before, says Erich Spangenberg

MARCH

1. Huawei announces 5G patent licensing rates capped at $2.50 per handset
2. Spate of patent litigation dismissals involving Tesla points to possible Avanci deal
3. Nokia secures another litigation-free, royalty-bearing, licensing deal with Samsung
4. Five takeaways from Fortress’s $2 billion patent damages win over Intel
5. "We feel good about our business - it’s very profitable and on a sustainable foundation," says Nokia Technologies chief

APRIL

1. Post-smartphones, LG is actively exploring patent sales
2. Fortress’s latest patent fund could top $900 million
3. DOJ’s IEEE patent policy move will heighten SEP owners’ focus on Biden Admin’s next antitrust steps
4. BlackBerry CEO: Majority of cash for patent portfolio expected in upfront payment
5. Sony’s strategy for IP success makes it rare among Japanese businesses

MAY

1. Jason Ding to move on from role as Huawei’s IP chief
2. Huawei reports patent royalty income of $600 million in first quarter
3. Samsung and Ericsson settle patent licensing dispute
4. The Samsung deal validates a pragmatic Ericsson approach to patent licensing
5. Oppo buys wireless patent portfolio from ZTE

JUNE

1. We’re rethinking our policy on SEPs, says senior DoJ official
2. Nokia and Daimler bring long-running SEP licensing dispute to an end
3. Global patent licensing rates without global portfolios are not FRAND, says Xiaomi’s IP strategy head
4. How the top mobile licensors’ patent portfolios stack up geographically
5. Germany’s automatic injunction regime for patent cases looks set to end

JULY

1. European Commission sets up final battle between SEP owners and implementers
2. Nokia launches patent litigation against Oppo across Europe and Asia
3. Microsoft gets new IP head following Yokoyama move
4. Apple's threat to leave UK market over SEP dispute should not be dismissed as a bluff
5. Germany's Constitutional Court paves the way for the UPC to be up and running in 2022

AUGUST

1. A $300 million damages award against Apple shows why equating all NPEs with patent trolls is so wrong
2. InterDigital’s licensing deal with Xiaomi was agreed by companies but created by people
3. Elon Musk does not hate patents and Tesla’s famous pledge is not as generous as it seems
4. Era of the 5G NPE begins with an EDTX suit against Samsung
5. 5G’s SEP power players are right to fear future standards split

SEPTEMBER

1. BlackBerry patent sale price agreed, deal 80% certain this quarter, says company's CEO
2. Chinese judges can set global SEP rates and licence terms, Supreme People's Court confirms
3. Apple didn’t want fair FRAND arbitration, Qualcomm VP says of epic litigation battle
4. Apple threat to leave British market over FRAND royalty is not credible, says judge
5. Qualcomm ends participation in HEVC licensing platform Velos Media

OCTOBER

1. New Ericsson lawsuit is a direct challenge to Apple’s 2019 FRAND manifesto
2. Leahy and Tillis appear divided on Biden’s pick for USPTO Director
3. Inside the record of the patent litigator touted as Biden’s USPTO chief choice
4. Ford is latest auto major to be hit with patent claims by Avanci member
5. How IV’s new auto patent offensive differs from past forays into the space

NOVEMBER

1. InterDigital reveals financial impact of recent licensing deal with Xiaomi
2. New Huawei transaction with top US patent asserter revealed
3. Latest patent sale by Chinese lab shows hot demand for 5G assets
4. Patent suits decline in Dusseldorf and Mannheim, but Munich’s docket is on the rise
5. A balanced FRAND approach is in China’s best interests

DECEMBER

1. Major US and UK SEP/FRAND reviews will have global licensing impact
2. Dusseldorf court delivers first FRAND defeat for an SEP joint licensing programme
3. Vidal looks all set to lead the USPTO after confident Senate hearing
4. Revealed: first Chinese target of ZTE's new SEP licensing push
5. Apple joins Uniloc in opposing court-mandated release of details of the NPE's patent licensing deals

We very occasionally put a piece in front of the IAM paywall, meaning it can be accessed by any registered user. These were the 10 most-read of these during the year:

1. Biden’s backing for the covid vaccine IP waiver should concern all rights owners
2. Five major platforms adopt standardised patent identification format to reduce portfolio management costs
3. Six questions for an IP market at a critical turning point
4. For patent plaintiffs, Germany is the world’s top jurisdiction, exclusive IAM survey finds
5. More than 25 major companies take innovation diversity pledge
6. The IP Hall of Fame inductees for 2021 announced
7. Get smarter about covid patents or pay the price
8. Top IP owners have pledged to boost inventor diversity, but more must follow
9. Revealed: the email Andrei Iancu sent to USPTO staff on the day the US Capitol was stormed
10. IAM parent company acquires market-leading US patent litigation data and analytics firm

As ever, we are immensely grateful to each one of our subscribers. We are privileged to have your trust and every day throughout 2022 we will do all we can to continue to justify it. Our commitment to you is that we will never cut corners. Our relentless focus will always be on providing the breaking news, the high-quality analysis and the unique data that matter to you.

Here’s wishing all of you the very happiest of New Years. See you on the other side!