Intellectual Capital is the core of any technology business. But how do you know which Intellectual Property Rights actually apply to your Intellectual Capital? What do you own? What can you own?
We provide answers to these questions and more.
What is the extent of your Intellectual Property Rights? How much is protected, and how far does that protection reach? How afraid should you be of your competitors Intellectual Property Rights?
We provide answers to these questions and more.
Do you use your Intellectual Capital in the right way? How do Intellectual Property Rights fit in your business model and revenue model? Do you get the most out of them, or could you increase your revenue?
We provide answers to these questions and more.
What is the best way to protect your Intellectual Capital? Should you register and seek exclusivity? Or publishing and prevent others from obtaining exclusivity?
Protection or openness? How to handle Open Source?
We provide answers to these questions and more.
What is your IP policy? What is your Open Source policy? How does IP support your strategy, and what is your strategy around your Intellectual Capital?
We provide answers to these questions and more.
Intellectual Capital is the core of any technology business. We help these businesses and their investors to integrate Intellectual Property Rights better into their business model.
Microsoft announced that it opened up the core code of its Kinect motion-sensing device. This is a very interesting development in the light of recent decisions on whether Intellectual Property protection applies to computer – user interfaces. In other words, does Intellectual Property apply to how we talk to computers? Back in 2010, when Microsoft released the Kinect motion sensor, it was hacked very quickly. Already at that time, Microsoft decided to have an open API (technical interface) and SDK (software development kit), allowing other developers and programs to interact freely with the Kinect motion sensor. Now, even the core code has been opened up, and is available under an Apache 2.0 open source license. As IP professionals would know, Read more ...
Usually, the question is asked the other way around: “is there money in Intellectual Property?” But as technology is creating new kinds of currencies and new ways to pay, the question of Intellectual Property Rights in money becomes relevant. 1. New money Amazon has recently started issuing its own currency, called Amazon Coins. Amazon creates Read more …
In my previous post I explained how 3D printing affects the world of Intellectual Property (IP), and how this creates all kinds of problems for IP rights. In this blog I will expand a little bit on why that is the case, and whether something can be done about it. 1. Personalized manufacturing Remember the Read more …
Since my last blog post (two years ago) a lot has changed. The technology of 3D-printing has made great progress. And the world of Intellectual Property has started to react to the challenge posed by 3D-printing. Which, in turn, has caused a surprise reaction by the 3D-printing community. 1. What is 3D-printing? Although 3D-printing Read more …
The launch of the mini iPad seems to make Apple a follower, instead of a leader. Apple’s use of Intellectual Property is probably a prime cause of the Apple slowdown. But a novel approach to IP – access to the Creative Commons – could help Apple to turn around and be innovative again. Apple Read more …
Criminal law demands high standards of evidence and due process. IP infringement cases repeatedly fall short of those standards. Using criminal law to protect private monopolistic interests is counter effective. Japan has recently issued a new draconian law criminalizing “illegal” downloads. A single download can get you 2 years in jail, or fines up Read more …
In earlier blogs, I have analyzed why the current copyright system is not fit for the digital age. I have also provided some elements of a solution; one key element I see for any survival of the copyright system is to impose a system of registration, together with breaking down the power to withhold legal Read more …
Everything becomes software Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape and currently co-founder and general partner of the venture capital firm Andreessen-Horowitz, wrote in August 2011 in the Wall Street Journal about how “Software is eating the world”. While Mr Andreessen was building on earlier observations, such as the author of this article, that software is the Read more …
All technology businesses innovate. It is what they do. They tackle a market opportunity by innovating. But innovation can happen at any level. It can be inventing a new technology, it can be process or method based, it can be through applying existing ideas in a novel way, or in many other ways. A key Read more …
Are stronger IP rights good or bad for innovation? There is very little empirical evidence. A recent report by the DoC claims to provide this evidence. Unfortunately, even a first reading demonstrates that the report is worse than worthless, it is downright misleading. Introduction What is the effect of IP rights on the economy Read more …
Increasingly, software businesses are suing 3rd party providers on the basis of copyright. Whether those 3rd party providers are in breach depends a lot on context – there’s no easy answer. But is it a good idea to use IPRs to force vendor lock-in on your customers? Rimini Street is a fairly young business, it Read more …