Yahoo! recently filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook during Facebook’s critical strategic move to go public. Yahoo! claims that Facebook has infringed on several patents regarding advertising methods and systems. Perhaps Yahoo! hopes that Facebook will settle so as not to interrupt the IPO process. After all, it worked for Yahoo! in the past [...]
Each year, patent holders file thousands of infringement lawsuits in an effort to protect the value of their inventions and intellectual property assets, or even to prolong entry of a competitive product. These lawsuits present many challenges for the parties involved as they are expensive, time consuming, and, most times, somebody loses. So how can [...]
When we pick up a brochure, a book, or a resume, we expect a clean copy minus typos, grammar confusion, and punctuation errors. When we encounter a piece that is less than clean, we begin to question the writer’s credibility. While even famous authors have occasional slips, such errors create connotations nobody wants. Even in [...]
Proper due diligence in a valuation engagement takes considerable time and attention to detail. Much information must go into the analysis to provide a credible valuation. In fact, specifics of the due diligence process can fill a book. However, the five critical components that cannot be missed when performing IP valuation due diligence are as [...]
How much is a baby’s name worth? For some parents, choosing the right name can be a daunting task. Some name their children after loved ones, Greek gods, colors, idols, and other meaningful aspects of life. Some proudly create new, outrageous names just to be different. Celebrities are best known for this latter method. Take [...]
No matter what type of IP valuation a valuation analyst performs, each one will have a different set of aspects to consider. Because intellectual property is unique, each engagement brings different considerations, which is what makes IP valuation a challenging profession. Celebrity valuations for musicians are no different. However, IP valuation analysts should consider the [...]
Determining the value of a single feature in a complex software program can present many challenges. Take the nine-year Alcatel-Lucent (Alcatel) and Microsoft battle over a touch feature for instance. How much is the simple touch of a screen worth? In 2008, a court said $358 million, the amount awarded to Alcatel. Microsoft disagreed. And [...]
Technology ranks high as one of the most volatile products in the market. With new advancements daily, even well-known brands have to stay up to date and create “the next best thing” before their competitors do. Even then, the market poses many challenges. Ensure you’ve got a strong value proposition – Will the market buy [...]
