There May Be Trouble Ahead: A Practical Guide to Effective Patent Asset Management

by Lex van Wijk

Overview

Patent assets are currently important strategic business tools. Their presence or absence can make or break technology-based companies. Patent asset management has therefore become a core responsibility within companies. This book discusses in a lucid manner the elements that need to be covered to ensure that patent assets are used to their full potential. It provides simple and practical management tools to realize alignment of patent, business, and research & development strategies. Additionally, this book will help managers understand why any decision regarding patent assets needs to be an informed business decision, and how these assets can contribute to the company's future success, if not survival.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810852921
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/31/2005
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.56(w) x 8.48(h) x 0.47(d)

About the Author

Lex van Wijk is a patent attorney who has worked at Royal Dutch Shell, at Burmah Castrol as group patent manager, and at Siemens AG. He is now working at Vereenigde, where he advises clients on intellectual property matters.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Foreword Part 2 Preface Part 3 Acknowledgments Chapter 4 1 Effective Patent Asset Management Chapter 5 2 Developing a Patent Strategy Chapter 6 3 Alignment of Strategies Chapter 7 4 Evaluating Inventions Chapter 8 5 Measuring the Performance of a Company's Patent Assets Chapter 9 6 Creating a New IP Culture Part 10 Bibliography Part 11 Legal Disclaimer Part 12 Index Part 13 About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Commercialisation of IP is now considered essential for success in business and indeed of the economies of nations. Trade Agreements take into account IP issues. This book provides an insight into the business world from an author who has experienced the development of IP awareness from its confined area of a few years ago to its broad recognition today. This is essential reading for managers and directors of companies with an interest in technological development and for patent professionals who now must not only obtain IP rights for clients but guide those clients on the appropriate use of it. This work does not resort to platitudes as many texts do and is therefore easily followed and its teachings remembered. An exercise in plain English. Much of what is taught is available elsewhere. This text puts it together for the benefit of the reader. The work does reveal the patent attorney background of the author but that is its strength, not a weakness.

Malcolm Royal

Many knowledge-based companies do not realise the importance of patent asset management until it is too late. The success of critical corporate events such as mergers, capital raisings or significant lawsuits can hinge on how effective a company has been in protecting and managing its intellectual property. This book provides the conceptual tools to address this issue.

Dieter Turowski

Having served several large companies as a patent attorney, Wijk shares the fundamental elements of effective patent management for companies of any size, passing over such details as case law, national requirements, and litigation strategies. Among his topics are developing a patent strategy, evaluating inventions, and creating a new intellectual property culture.

Scitech Book News

Lex's practical guide provides a wonderful overview of the elements of patent asset management. It covers an amazing amount of ground in a relatively small number of pages. It provides excellent insights by someone who obviously has a lot of experience in the area. I would definitely recommend it as an addition to any intellectual asset management library.

Harry J. Gwinnell

This short book by Lex van Wijk is described as being a practical guide, and it lives up to this description. Many books and articles on patent asset management describe elaborate mathematical methods for calculating cash valuations of patent portfolios,and often seem to be out of touch with reality. This book gives a clear and simple approach to the evaluation of inventions and patents, and encourages companies to consider whether their patenting strategy really matches their business and R&D strategies. I thoroughly recommend this book to all patent attorneys working in industry, as well as to managers in need of an introduction to this subject...

Dr. Philip Grubb

This book is essential reading for patent professionals and executives responsible for managing patent assets. It highlights many of the ideas that an organization should focus on to manage its patent assets. Applying these concepts can help an organization of any size to understand the value of its portfolio and how to cost effectively exploit it. I share some of the ideas and concepts laid out in this book, and they have enabled Hitachi to generate substantial royalty income for years. People who wish to turn their IP assets into truly meaningful business assets should read this book.

Yasuo Sakuta