Maximising the value of patent portfolios internationally

PA Consulting Group and Herbert Smith hosted a joint seminar on "Maximising the value of patent portfolios internationally" in Tokyo.

Event overview

The role of intellectual property rights (IPR) is becoming increasingly important. They represent not only a means to protect a company’s innovation and market share, but also a means to realise a return on investment in research and development through creative licensing programmes. This is particularly the case with so-called standards-essential patents, where companies seek to license their patent portfolios on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (“FRAND”) terms.
Intellectual property rights can also represent threats as well as opportunities.

Part of the challenge of maximising the value of a patent portfolio is appreciating the relative strengths of your and your competitors’ portfolios

In this seminar, speakers from PA Consulting Group and Herbert Smith focused on how Japanese companies can enhance and protect the value of their IPR via patent licensing. The speakers assessed the opportunities for Japanese companies and the challenges they face, particularly in the light of factors such as the current economic crisis, a saturated domestic market,globalisation and the competitive threats from Europe, Asia and elsewhere.

The seminar covered a variety of topics including:

• Threats and opportunities: why IPR is of increasing importance in today’s world

• The complexity of IPR: why benchmarking royalty rates is difficult

• PA Consulting Group’s licensing model: enabling companies to maximise thier negotiation position by bringing clarity to patent licensing

• Maximising value: a rigorous approach to developing FRAND rates

• Preparing for challenges: the cost/benefit of patent litigation around the world. 

To find out more about how PA can advise on Essential Patents in wireless, please contact us now.