IBM IP chief talks strategy; Ericsson’s Vonage patent haul; Hot demand for 5G IP; Chinese open source revolution; Novo Nordisk’s $3bn IP-driven buy; plus much more
Everything we covered on IAM over the last seven days – and all you need to know from the global IP market to set yourself up for the start of another busy week
The Long Read
New guidelines in the works at the China National IP Administration will continue the fight against what are deemed to be bad faith patent applications, make utility models harder to get and heighten the risk of litigation in the software space, write Aaron Wininger of Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, PA and Austin Chang of Beijing East IP. Read more here
MONDAY 22 November
Chinese law needs to provide more clarity in order to encourage collective patent licensing via pools and other platforms, says adviser to the country’s IP courts. Read more here
IBM IP chief Bill LaFontaine says legal and cultural shifts have made licensing more challenging in the US, but that events overseas may help the pendulum swing back. Read more here
The case for securing patent protection for AI-related inventions has never been stronger and is likely to become even more compelling over the coming years. Read more here
TUESDAY 23 November
Courts in Shenzhen and Guangzhou have clarified the legal status of the GNU General Public Licence in China for the first time and that could have major implications for Chinese software development. Read more here
Novo Nordisk has agreed to pay $3.3 billion for RNA interference innovator Dicerna in a deal that shows the rapidly increasing value of IP in the space. Read more here
The INTA annual meeting is the world’s largest gathering of IP professionals. This year’s event took place last week and multiple talking points emerged. Read more here
Patent leaders from Johnson Controls, JUUL Labs, Valo Health and IBM discuss tried-and-trusted methods of invention harvesting. Read more here
WEDNESDAY 24 November
Hyundai Motor, along with subsidiary brand Kia, has acquired dozens of patents in a deal with AT&T, USPTO records show. Read more here
Top patent practitioners say that the covid crisis has transformed biopharma IP policy debates and highlighted the importance of innovation. Read more here
THURSDAY 25 November
The latest patent sale by Chinese research lab Shanghai Langbo Communication Technology to a US-based NPE is further evidence of the growing demand for 5G IP assets. Read more here
Pfizer has been able to take quick action against suspected misappropriation of proprietary information, apparently because of its effective mechanisms for monitoring use of its trade secrets. Read more here
With so many patent policy developments in the US over the past month, IP executives have plenty to keep them up at night. But the top shared priority can be summed up in one word: clarity. Read more here
FRIDAY 26 November
Exclusive data shows which Chinese patent agencies secured most rights for clients in 2020 across technical fields including IT, renewable energy, electric vehicles and life sciences. Read more here
As part of its $6 billion Vonage acquisition, Ericsson will get a portfolio of good quality patents that strengthen its footprint in areas such as security, machine learning and wired networks. Read more here
SATURDAY 27 November
Inflation and goods shortages are making the supply chain an everyday conversation topic this US holiday season, and the effects of that may well be seen in patent disputes at the ITC. Read more here
