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Friends again-Microsoft and Salesforce settle

by Andrew Watson on 5 August 2010

In what is becoming a glut of interesting IP news at the moment, it’s reported today that MSFT and Salesforce have settled their patent spat. http://www.lanewsmonitor.com/news/Microsoft-and-Salesforce-com-Settle-Patent-Infringement-Lawsuits-1281020552/

It’s good speculation to wonder who the new troll on the block will bother with its new found confidence. The whole behaviour doesn’t feel very MSFT but you can’t disagree easily with the “if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em” logic and approach.

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Telegraph Online endorses the IP Crusade

by Andrew Watson on 1 August 2010

A good spot from Heather Lycett of Blue Concept  on Twitter with a link to a Telegraph Online article. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/damianreece/7917572/Britain-must-get-serious-about-protecting-its-intellectual-property.html

Of course we agree, 100%, with the sentiment. We’ve previously commented that from our work, the UK seems behind even the best in Europe in seeing the value in IP, with the best in Europe being also behind the best in the World by several steps. Not yet too late but I’d personally prefer to see our new leader shouting about how the UK invests in what it’s good at and leading the World in IP in those areas than trying to haphazardly play Obama with only 1% of the charisma, and therefore only creating a negative impact on Brand UK. It’s not too late to apologise David, and I’d be polishing off my “Apologising for Dummies” guide, 2010 edition, before the Pakistani Prime Minister arrives this week.

Others are either more focused, business wise, or by the time we work it out, others will have captured all of the valuable IP real estate.  Wonder how this clear message could find its way into UK Government policy?

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IV officially not in trouble, ish!

August 1, 2010

That didn’t take tool long. IV’s VP of Finance responded to Joff Wild at IAM Blog with what looks like a sensible explanation of the valuation given whilst at the same time, as of course any fund would, staying on the right side of their investors. http://www.iam-magazine.com/blog/Detail.aspx?g=509b4e21-db03-48d4-b5fd-de10cbf81f64 “The method UTIMCO has chosen to use in [...]

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Fascinating Tweet on Intellectual Ventures-does trolling pay?

July 28, 2010

Just because this is so interesting, take a look at this just posted on Twitter via Hunch founder Chris Dixon. http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/28/intellectual-ventures-negative-return/ I think we will be watching this one very carefully. As IV are typically very good at PR they should be responding any time now.

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Quick post–Motorola and Huawei lawsuit

July 24, 2010

I’m in transit and not able to put out a full post on this one, but in the light of an increased focus on trade secrecy in our projects, this is an interesting story. Motorola seems to be claiming that Huawei systematically controlled 5 Motorola employees and directed them to steal Motorola’s confidential information. A [...]

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Trolling in cleantech-Paice & Toyota settle

July 20, 2010

It’s been a matter of debate for a while whether or not patent trolls would be allowed to impact the introduction of clean and green technologies, and whether or not, morally and legally, pure patent owners would be able to seek ITC bans or injunctions for supposedly infringing technologies. “Surely not”, cries the voice of [...]

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Oh dear….looks who’s back (Thomas Campana’s legacy keeps on going)

July 9, 2010

Oh dear, oh dear. The NY Times reports overnight that those lovely trolls at NTP are back with a vengeance and on a new parasitic crusade to extort monopoly rent from the smartphone market. http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/smartphone-patent-suits-challenge-big-makers/ As any reader of this blog will know from recent posts I’m no lover of this sort of activity.  As ever the parasitic [...]

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Handy Humper stopped at the border

July 2, 2010

A nice spicy story in the New York Daily News today. http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/07/02/2010-07-02_sextoy_makers_patience_reaches_climax.html. It would be an easy and cheap shot to follow the editor of the site and try a few double-entendres (fnaar, fnaar-gosh I’ve just remembered Finbarr Saunders  from Viz, left–is Viz still going?) but the heart of the story is about how powerful [...]

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That Troll Session-slashdot, IOU an apology

June 23, 2010

I can’t leave Munich without a comment on that NPE session. Picture the scene. Have you ever seen the film the Fifth Element? Gary Oldman, the excellent Gary Oldman, plays the baddie, the ultimate capitalist owner of everything sold or produced worldwide, everyone’s boss. He tips a glass from his desk, breaking it on the [...]

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IPBC (Day 1 Review)

June 22, 2010

In short, not much really new though a hint that the mass is moving away from talking only about patents (still a strong sub-theme to everything but at least the minds are opening) to a wider defintion of IP. Step by step. Nir Kossovsky was excellent on reputation. A substantive move forward. Wayne Sobon was [...]

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