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Inclusion into the IAM Strategy 300 list for 2016

IAM Strategy 300 2016 Truly a “Standing on the shoulders of giants” moment – for the 3rd year in a row I have been listed in the 2016 edition of the IAM Strategy 300, which was published  last month.

I am particularly thankful to my peers for nominating me for inclusion in this years list.   When I started investing in my IP education 17 years ago, seemingly “before it was cool”, I did it because I was passionate about the topic, getting insight from every piece of literature I could.  As a result of my efforts, I’m now humbled to be listed along side world class IP lawyers and consultants, as well as IP heads from companies like Google, Amazon, Ford Motors, Nike, and Apple.  I’ve come far, but still have a long way to go!

My congratulations to all those that are on the list in 2016.

About the IAM Strategists 300: Over the course of several months, IAM researchers spoke to a wide range of leading IP professionals in order to identify people considered to be world-class IP strategists: men and women whose business is the creation, development and deployment of strategies that enable IP rights owners to gain maximum value from their portfolios. Only those individuals considered and nominated by their peers to be outstanding IP strategists are listed in the IAM Strategy 300. The IAM Strategy 300 is available in printed format and online at www.iam-magazine.com/strategy300.

A brief pause on IP Insights …

My apologies – all my writing drafts are with publishers!  Two articles and a book chapter somehow were written in the past few months, so will be back to  posted IP insights shortly.

If you have IAM Magazine access you can view my latest published IP strategy based article: How an innovation and IP value-chain view can transform portfolio value “While an IP portfolio built on business value chain can have strategic value, companies should take a closer look at how strong links between intellectual property and innovation can expand a portfolio’s breadth and depth”

Thanks!

October Event Calendar: IP & Business Innovation Forum

For those local to Victoria, I am helping organize an IP-Business forum in October – Mark your calendars for October 8th.  Details are below and you can register here.

Event Calendar: IP & Business Innovation Forum

Register today – limited availability

If you are a R&D leader, inventor, investor or CEO, CFO, or CTO of a growing technology-based venture join us of an afternoon seminar featuring thought-provoking discussion from six industry experts. The session will conclude with a networking reception. Local beer, wine and appetizers will be served.

WHEN:  Thursday, October 8, 2015 – 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

A seminar examining significant factors that may dictate whether your venture is successful – These factors include the interaction between R&D, Innovation, IP, and Business.

A panel of industry experts will address questions including:

  • What are the best business structures for operating success?
  • What are the strategic approaches connecting R&D, innovation, and patents?
  • Why and how does a business focused patent strategy need created?
  • How do SR&ED, and other tax challenges impact your venture or investment?
  • Why should company stakeholders care about these topics, and what is the cost of getting them wrong?

WHERE: Laurel Point Inn, Merino Room.

OUR PANEL:

  • John McLeod – Reed Pope Business Lawyers
  • Anne Flanagan – Alliance Patents
  • James Ramsbottom – Merizzi Ramsbottom & Forster
  • Peter Cowan – Northworks IP
  • Jason Cheng – PwC
  • Elisabeth  Finch – PwC

Each of our speakers will talk to you about their area of expertise for twenty minutes, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Peter Elkins of the Capital Investment Network

COST: $45, includes refreshments and appetizers.

REGISTER: To register click on the following link

Speaker & Session Details:

 Session #1: Structures for Success
(John McLeod, Associate Counsel at Reed Pope Law Corporation)

This session will highlight the importance of adopting business structures that suit your operating environment and capital raising, tax, IP and other goals.  John will review steps you can take to document ownership of IP as between your business and its founders, employees, consultants and partners.  If you build value, the strength of your IP portfolio will likely be tested through due diligence or litigation or both.

Session #2: Developing and Protecting Technology
(Anne Flanagan, Owner, Alliance Patents)

A strategic approach to developing and protecting technology is essential for any company, whether a start up based on new technology, or an existing company looking to maintain their competitive advantage.  This session will discuss strategies to mesh company R&D with the development of a patent portfolio.

Session #3: Canadian Organization Filing Strategies
(James Ramsbottom, Partner & Patent Agent, Merizzi Ramsbottom & Forster)

A strategically built intellectual property portfolio is the cornerstone any organization involved in the development, marketing and selling of technological advancements.  This session will review some high-level patent prosecution strategies that may be available to organizations for developing their patent portfolios in a timely manner, using programs available through Canadian Patent Office and other foreign patent offices, which can be leveraged internationally.

Session #4: IP and strategies to secure sustainable competitive advantage
(Peter Cowan, Northworks IP)

An IP strategy is vital for all businesses that rely on IP to support or generate revenue. This session will review the key points in building and developing a business focused IP strategy that can both lock out competitors as well as create a scalable and sustainable competitive advantage.  It will illustrate how to create and evolve your IP strategy, and bring the discussion into the boardroom.

Session #5: SR&ED Update: Are your claims aligned with new case law & CRA expectations?
(Jason Cheng, Partner, PwC)

The Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) program remains a key source of funding for innovative businesses. Ensure that you continue to protect your investment in R&D by learning the latest on this key tax credit program, understand the current approach the CRA is taking on file reviews, and hear about the implications of significant recent court rulings that could be beneficial to your claim.

Session #6: Moving and using IP across international borders: tax opportunities and challenges
(Elisabeth Finch, Partner, Tax Services, PwC)

This session will explain the international tax challenges you will face when creating an effective international IP structure, in a way everyone can understand. Elisabeth will also highlight the reasons your company’s stakeholders will care about these structures being right, and the costs of getting it wrong.

Session #7: Bringing it all together: Business, R&D, IP, & Innovation

(Peter Elkins, Capital Investment Network).

Peter will host a moderated discussion with the panel members.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER.

Inclusion into the IAM Strategy 300 list for 2015

Strategy 300_Individual 2015Surprised and humbled – for the 2nd year in a row I have been listed in the 2015 edition of the IAM Strategy 300, which was published  last month.

I am particularly thankful to my peers for nominating me for inclusion in this years list.   When I started investing in my IP education 16 years ago, seemingly “before it was cool”, I did it because I was passionate about the topic, getting insight from every piece of literature I could.  As a result of my efforts, I’m now humbled to be listed along side world class IP lawyers and consultants, as well as IP heads from companies like Google, Amazon, Ford Motors, Nike, and Coca-Cola.  I’ve come far, but still have a long way to go!

My congratulations to all those that are on the list in 2015.

About the IAM Strategists 300: Over the course of several months, IAM researchers spoke to a wide range of leading IP professionals in order to identify people considered to be world-class IP strategists: men and women whose business is the creation, development and deployment of strategies that enable IP rights owners to gain maximum value from their portfolios. Only those individuals considered and nominated by their peers to be outstanding IP strategists are listed in the IAM Strategy 300. The IAM Strategy 300 is available in printed format and online at www.iam-magazine.com/strategy300.

IP Dealmakers: The 3 Key Take-aways for IP Licensing Deals

The only constant is change.

Spending 2 days with the IP and Investment leaders in NYC this week at the IP Dealmakers Forum, highlighted for me 3 key take-aways of IP licensing in today’s business environment: Flexibility, Opportunity, Success.

#1) Flexibility
A consistent theme throughout the time was the discussion of licensing flexibility as a top priority.  With the investment firms becoming more sophisticated in reviewing deals, combined with the lowering volume of both quality deal flow and the financial structure, dealmakers are needing to be more flexible in  how the opportunity is structured for financial benefits.  In short, there may be less cash up front for now but for the quality patents it still gives the opportunity for the same revenue at the back-end.

Flexibility is driven in part by the legal climate.  A short, yet pointed discussion, happened on how recent patent law changes have impacted how deals are being executed.  The discussion around law changes highlighted the level of flexibility in the room, with most speakers simply noting the recent law changes and then moving swiftly to how their processes and procedures have changed to adapt to the new rules. It is this swift acceptance of the legal changes from a business view that breaks the top dealmakers apart from the rest.

 

 

 

#2) Opportunities In both data and beautiful graphs (thank you David Morland of 3LP Consulting), we saw that not only is there new opportunities but a growing market cap that they support. New entrants into the ecosystem of publicly traded IP companies show at least a $1.4B increase in market cap recently, a marker of continued volume on the private side. While the move to lower deal cash is happening, the cross-border volume is growing.

Overall there was a consensus that that it is a buyers market, and for those IP Investment firms with access to capital, it is a good time to invest (and to do so without pure reliance on Excel spreadsheets). And the investment is not limited to the traditional geographies or sectors yet a large point of discussion did seem to always circulate back to topics like Automotive, Medical, Agriculture, Industrial, and other non-software related sectors.

 

One challenge brought up on the opportunity side is for investors to have more educated IP based analysis to interpret the information, and translate it into business impacts.

#3) Success Like any business, the stars will emerge to be successful, but is is the A-player teams that will be leading the charge.

 

There is no denying that as deals are forged, the licensing path of the successful is supported by litigation at some point. Certain “fruit name companies in California” seem to be leading the charge of having a standard process of litigate over license, one patent at a time. However for those with the capital and team to support the endeavour, there will be success in the long term.

 

Wrapup: With the constant of industry change, the entities having breakthrough licensing programs are the result of flexibility and opportunity identification: The dealmakers in the IP area are several steps ahead of the reset of the VC, Instustional Investors, and Blue Chip markets. The IP marketplace is growing, and it is up to those that capitalize on the market and legal trends to land in the ‘success’ category.

 

Post-script: If you addend the event, you will see I didn’t cover the keynote by Jay Walker. The only thing I didn’t like about the keynote is that it was so good, I didn’t even have time to take notes on it, and I wasn’t alone!