IP corporate strategy summit

Highlights from the IP Corporate Strategy Summit

• Neal Rubin, RPX gave the keynote with a review of the range of IP risk mitigation options now available. This includes patent acquisition, IP insurance and global litigation strategy. A common theme across many of these solutions is data and RPX’s role at the centre of an ecosystem has provided a unique perspective. This set the scene for a panel on Managing Risk including Siemens, Nestle and Ocado moderated by Tokio Marine Kiln. Risk, is a topic that is on the main board agenda, so a need for communication, clarity and expectation setting is paramount.
• Bobby Mukherjee, BAE Systems urged the audience to engage with IP policy. Easy to delude yourself that things will sort themselves out. BAT showed graphically just how tobacco regulation gutted brand value in a single stroke. The UKIPO rounded the session with practical tips for engaging with HMG.
• Mark Hodgin, Mondelez widened the discussion by introducing the importance of brands and trade secrets to deals and the business more generally. We particularly enjoyed the panel discussion about perceptions of IP as a Cost Centre or Revenue Stream. For organisations like Oxford University Innovation, this is not so clean cut as there is a range of societal benefits to be factored into the equation.
• Nigel Swycher, our CEO moderated the AI and IP panel – Steve Harris nailed a presentation of why decent AI can outperform excellent humans and Lew Zaretzki followed by applying the theory to the estimation of HEVC SEP populations and licensing more generally. Erich Spangenberg, IPwe looks set to shake up the market for IP services, on the road to creating a platform to increase IP liquidity.

AI and IP panel – Nigel Swycher, Erich Spangenberg, Lew Zaretzki and Steve Harris

• Max Oloffsson, Avanci highlighted the importance of connectivity going forward and the need for rational and efficient patent licensing. The Avanci pool is now up to 17 patent owners, with a number of notable absences. The jury is our whether $15 royalty per connected car is the right number. Gowling presented their report on the Future of the Car and the findings sit comfortably with our extensive work in the sector.
• For the last session, Lucy Wojcik (Ocado), Charles Clark (Centrica) and Calum Smyth (Barclays) debated the best way to build an IP department, and how reporting lines and budget ownership changes the dynamic. There is no one size fits all, but some things they shared was passion, good humour and a love of Cipher!

Cipher and IP Strategy

We also distributed the Cipher IP Strategy Report  – disruption through a patent lens.

An analysis of patents delivers better data to the teams responsible for navigating new technologies and ecosystems.

Nigel Swycher, CEO explains the connection: “This Cipher Report introduces a fresh source of data for those formulating strategies to meet the disruptive force of technology. An analysis of patents delivers better data to the teams responsible for navigating new technologies and ecosystems. This includes those responsible for R&D, mergers, licensing and supply chain management. Gone are the days when owning a large number of patents is a meaningful business objective.”

Thank you to MIP, speakers and the attendees for making this event a success.