patents
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The changing trade secret and patent equilibrium
It is no secret that trade secrets are essential to the success of many businesses. Nearly all of us are aware of examples of highly treasured trade secrets, such as the recipe for Coca-Cola, the formula for WD-40 and the methodology for creating the nooks and crannies in Thomas’ English Muffins. Less-known is the growing importance of trade secrets and the role they play in our… Read More
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Why patent trolls won’t give up
In Return of the Jedi, Yoda tells Luke “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.” Luckily for me, this didn’t apply to the patent world. I spent seven years on the “dark side” working for patent trolls before coming back to the light. Patent trolls are companies that derive all or almost all of their revenue… Read More
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Xiaomi inks Microsoft patent deal and agrees to pre-install Office apps on its phones
Xiaomi is moving closer to launching its smartphones in the U.S. market. Today the Chinese company announced a partnership with Microsoft that includes a cross-license and patent transfer agreement and the pre-installation of Skype and Microsoft Office products on Xiaomi devices. Read More
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Tesla’s patent strategy opens the road to sustainability for transport and for itself
What makes Tesla unique? How about everything. Mention patents to most people and their eyes glaze over. Worse, they think of patent “trolls” that some say are harming American businesses. But everyone appreciates one fundamental fact: Patents, and intellectual property generally, mean value. Read More
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Innovation Act might be dead, but innovation lives on
As a former patent examiner, I recognize that the patent system, in its purest form, should protect and incentivize innovation through a limited-term contract, offering exclusive monopoly rights covering a technology, product or design element. In practice, it’s much uglier, and by no means did the Founding Fathers intend for patents to be utilized toward incremental monopolization ploys. Read More
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How Tech Can Shut Down Patent Trolls
Patent trolls, more formally known as Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs), pose a major threat to American businesses. A study published by the Boston University School of Law revealed that more than six times as many patent lawsuits are filed today as in 1980. More than 10,000 companies have been sued at least once by a PAE, and litigation by PAEs using acquired patents is increasing at an… Read More
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The Best Times To Get A Grip On Your Startup’s IP
What’s a tech startup’s most valuable asset? It’s not the seed money. It’s not the workspace. And it’s definitely not the espresso machine or Ping Pong table. The priceless heart of a promising startup is its intellectual property (IP) — the disruptive idea, the brilliant invention, the genius breakthrough. This hot commodity needs to be protected by… Read More
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Swipe To Patent: Design Patents In The Age Of User Interfaces
User experience and user-interface design is an emerging field in the technology industry, even more so in the legal world of patents. (Sometimes this field is known by the shorthand UX/UI.) It might surprise you to know that the fastest growing segment of design patent filings is in the UX/UI space. Read More
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Samsung Filed The Most Patents In Europe In 2014, U.S. Led The Field By Country
While IBM is number-one when it comes to the number of patents filed in the U.S., in Europe, Samsung is leading the pack. Today, the European Patent Office released 2014 figures for patents filed in the region, which showed that the Korean company, and currently the world’s largest smartphone maker, filed 2,541 for the full year. In terms of countries, the U.S. dominated the list,… Read More
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NVIDIA Sues Samsung and Qualcomm, Tries To Get Samsung Galaxy Devices Blocked From The U.S.
Ready for another big patent battle?
NVIDIA has just filed patent lawsuits against both Samsung and Qualcomm, claiming the companies are infringing upon its graphics chip patents. The end goal? To block the shipment of Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets until Samsung coughs up patent licensing fees. Read More
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