The world’s leading IP strategists

IP strategy is no longer out in the cold. Gone are the days when an IP team was tasked with handling patent and trade mark filing and dealing with any litigation that should happen to come their way.

Now IP strategy is taught in universities and in business schools – and not just to “IP specialists”. The strategic management of IP is often the responsibility of a C-suite executive – sometimes as a separately defined CIPO (Chief Intellectual Property Officer) but often as a designated function of the CTO, CSO, CFO or CMO or some other combination of board members.

It is now common for IP (and intangible assets more generally) to be managed by a delegated body – often called an IP Strategy Committee. In situations where this works well, they have one or more C- suite executives as standing representatives and they bring together the teams who need to work together to maximise the value and minimise the risk associated with IP.

While it is hard to put a single number on the importance of IP, there is little resistance to the fact that the substantial majority of enterprise value is now intangible (the consensus is 80% or more), which makes effective management not just desirable but essential.

I have been working in the field of IP for over 30 years and so much has evolved. The direction of travel has, however, been consistent. It’s sometimes hard to remember just how much has changed over this period – not just law and practice, but the sheer force of technological progress that defines and destroys companies and sectors.

What is relatively new is the accessibility and reliability of data. We set up Aistemos in 2013 to harness the opportunities that this would provide. Our mission began with the realisation that strategic decision making was being thwarted by the absence of reliable data. This led to the development of Cipher, now a leading source of strategic patent intelligence, and used by leading companies in their fields.

For this reason, I am honoured to have been nominated for the IAM 300, the World’s Leading IP Strategists. This is recognition that rightly goes to the Cipher team in London who have over the last 6 years worked tirelessly to make my vision a reality.

Nigel Swycher, CEO