21 October 2025 · Brokerage, Investors, Licensing, Monetisation, Patents
Higher Values for US Patents under John Squires The new USPTO director John Squires is introducing greater certainty into the US patent system. This is good news for small and medium sized businesses. Since the advent of the America Invents Act in 2011 it has been too easy to challenge and invalidate granted US patents. […]
Read More9 April 2025 · Articles, Brand, Confidential Information, Counterfeit, Fakes, Information Security, Innovation, Investors, Patents
It is a fact of. business life that you will hit the IP risks and bumps at some stage: These may include the following IP risks: Trademark musical chairs ! Copyright flattery (or not)? Trusted colleague as was. Reputation under threat. Information theft. Patent bullying by a big kid. Social media lock out Fakes IP […]
Read More9 December 2024 · Articles, Innovation, Investors, Trade secrets
Hedge funds Millennium and Jane Street settled on the theft of a trading strategy when two traders left one to join the other. It turned out the trading strategy was worth $1bn a year in profit to Jane Street, hence the case. Ryan Baker, an intellectual property lawyer in LA, said the law “contemplates formulas, […]
Read More28 November 2024 · Articles, Confidential Information, Cyber Security, Innovation, Investors, IP Audit, IP Value, Knowledge Transfer, Trade secrets
The most valuable IP in your business is highly likely to be your trade secrets. A stark reality faces you and that is if you are not actively managing these assets they are probably flooding out of your business with the loss of the associated value and competitive edge. Trade secrets are the fastest growing […]
Read More25 November 2024 · Articles, Investors, IP Audit, IP Strategy, IP Value
A Moat Round Your IP Why else would they invest? They need to know that their investment is safe. That the marauding hoards, your competitors even!, cannot get access to your valuable ideas, results, concepts, contents, brands, and yes secrets. You have got this -A list of all your IP, with clear representation of ownership? […]
Read More20 November 2024 · Articles, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Investors, IP Audit, IP Strategy, IP Value, M&A Due Diligence
Easy IP Audit. The Better Way What Got You Here Will Not Get You There Your business evolves, the landscape evolves, the law evolves, your strategy evolves and the economic climate changes. Is Your IP Fit For Purpose? As your business evolves so your IP needs to evolve as well. Investors assess IP protection, ownership, […]
Read More14 November 2024 · Articles, Brand, Brokerage, Domain Name, Investors, Monetisation
Dharmesh Shah CTO of HubSpot spotted an opportunity, buying domain name Chat.com $15.5m! Less than a year later he sold it again for $20m! The buyer none less than Open AI CEO Sam Altman! Shah got a pretty healthy return on his investment, even accepting 50% of the sale price as Open AI stock! This […]
Read More13 November 2024 · Articles, Innovation, Investors, IP Culture, IP Education, IP Strategy, IP Value, Patents, Trade secrets
I once worked with a small business where they had spent $1m on patent filings for a particular invention. The business pivoted away from the invention but it was assumed that there would be 5X return on cost spend through sale or licensing of the patents. Sadly there was no value in the patents. Another […]
Read More21 October 2024 · Confidential Information, Entrepreneurship, Investors, Trade secrets
Most of us are guilty of signing NDAs, sharing information with investors and partners and thinking nothing else of it. Mainly this route turns out ok, with the major risk being inadvertent leaking of your information due to poorly controlled processes at the recipient. Occasionally there will be planned and deliberate leakage. The FBI is […]
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2 July 2024 · Investors, IP Education, IP Strategy, IP Value
I knew nothing about IP but now I am advising investors on the matter
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