Battle Between Tessera and Activist IP Investor is Heating Up

Tessera says that Starboard Value wants to turn it from an R&D business into a patent “troll.” The battle between activist investor Starboard Value and Tessera Technologies (NASDAQ: TSRA) took a nasty turn this week with Tessera publishing on May 6 a letter to shareholders explaining “the superiority of its IP business model” and how […]

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“Hot Topic” Luncheon will Explore the Impact of Public IP Companies

Are publicly-owned businesses that monetize patents a catalyst for innovation and job creation or a roadblock to profits? Georgia State University College of Law is featuring at its May 14 “Hot Topics” luncheon discussion of an emerging trend that has divided innovators, investors and lawmakers. “How are Public IP Companies Affecting Innovation and Investment?” will be […]

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Tap “IP CloseUp 30″ to get a Continuously Updated Snap-Shot of Public Patent Companies

IP CloseUp 30 is a handy tool for those who want to track the most active IP stocks in an instant. IP CloseUp is pleased to announce the IP CloseUp® 30 a free, all-in-one information update of the leading patent stocks. A click or a tap is all investors, innovators, lawyers and or businesses to track […]

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Patent Stock Review Aims to Help Investors Compare IP Companies

News aggregator serves up a convenient summary of developments in the public patent space. Patent Stock Review, a news and analysis website started earlier this year, provides easy to access background on a wide range of public companies involved in patent monetization, including Vringo, VirnetX and Acacia, as well as many that are less well-known. Published by Institutional […]

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Silicon Valley: Too Big to Fail, or Too Frightened Not To?

Am I seeing things or is the innovation capitol becoming less hospitable to really new ideas and strong patents? Are Silicon Valley’s guiding lights still willing to extend the welcome mat to entrepreneurs that provide potentially disruptive ideas and new business models? While it may have the ability to periodically re-invent itself, we should not […]

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Going Ape for Apps: Samsung is Gaga for U.S. Patents

No company has more Active U.S. patents than Samsung or files more applications. In fact, outside of IBM, Samsung leads all filers in U.S. patent applications by better than two to one. According to “The US Patent 100″ published by Patent Vest and MDB Capital in IAM, Samsung is the biggest current U.S. patent holder […]

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Judge Koh Throws Out Damages Award in Apple v. Samsung

Apple’s high-profile and short-lived win against Samsung may turn into the licensing agreement that it should have been in the first place. On Friday Judge Lucy Koh halved the $1.05 billion award that a San Jose, CA jury provided Apple for Samsung’s infringement of 14 of its patents. Judge Koh also ordered the damages portion […]

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Obama Drinks the Kool-Aid on Weaker Patents, “Trolls”

The President’s confusion about innovation and what needs reform will likely undermine American competitiveness. In a recent Fireside Hangout on Google+ President Obama said that the U.S. needs to go much further on patent reform, singling out patent trolls, “who don’t actually produce anything themselves” and are “just trying to essentially leverage and hijack somebody else’s […]

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Public IP Cos (PIPCOs) – An Expanding Universe

IP-centric businesses whose shares trade on the public markets come in many shapes and sizes — some are better suited for return than others. Many of the most interesting IP-rich businesses, from an investor perspective, are publicly traded, thinly capitalized companies with experienced management. The best have a realistic view of their IP assets, usually patents, and the timing and cost of their disputes […]

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The NY Times Says Streaming Sticks it to Musicians

Royalties from so-called legitimate Internet streaming sites, including Pandora and Spotify, pay most musicians less than a penny on a dollar of revenue generated. In a page one article in today’s New York Times, “As Music Streaming Grows, Artists’ Royalties Slow to a Trickle,” the paper illustrates how cellist Zoe Keating received just $1,652.74 from Pandora […]

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Music Pirate Kim Dotcom Schmitz Launches a (Tired) Second Act

File sharing kingpin hopes to evade authorities by using complex encryption scheme. A year after being shut down for running Megaupload, an illegal music file sharing website, content pirate Kim Dotcom Schmitz (IP CloseUp, October 5) and IAM 56, “He’s No Robin Hood”) is back going live on Sunday January 20 with, Mega, a new effort to […]

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Selling Prices of NPE-Owned Assets Lag Despite High Quality

Some buyers prefer to pay a premium for a large but still vague patent portfolio than for a handful of proven rights. “So, sue me,” seems to be the attitude of operating companies when confronted with SME or NPE-held patents that may read on their products and command high potential damages awards or settlements. Strategic […]

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