Most management leaders think "committee" is a four-letter word. But in the case of patents, they're wrong. Assessing what that real value is takes more than the engineers and the lawyers, and that's where a patent committee comes in. Learn the best way to structure one and make it work for your company, and start reaping real rewards from your patent portfolio.
While the position “I paid for it, I own it” may appear attractive at first— indeed, it attempts to satisfy a basic, universal desire to get what we paid for—analyzing the repercussions of this position makes it far less satisfying.
Today, IP plays a crucial role in the sale or purchase of companies in almost every conceivable industry. This article will tell you how to assess the IP aspects of a proposed transaction, conduct and complete due diligence to the extent it affects intellectual property and draft the provisions of the purchase agreement relating to the transfer of intellectual property rights.
The rules of civil procedure are once again being amended, this time to update them for document production in the digital age. Judge Shira A. Scheindlin talks about what the proposed changes will mean for in-house counsel. She also gives advice and her top ten tips on conducting e-discovery in the current murky shadow of Rule 26, to avoid garnering sanctions for inadvertently violating a discovery order, or worse yet charges of spoliation of evidence.
An effective corporate intellectual property program provides protection for valuable intangible assets, generates income, and enhances a company's value. It is one that protects both a company's rights and minimizes risk that the company may infringe on the rights of others. What's not to like? Yet too often, companies neglect doing an IP audit until there's a cease-and desist letter on the GC's desk. Learn how to perform an IP audit and find ways to maximize revenues while minimizing exposure. It's every in-house lawyer's dream, isn't it?
The data protection issues raised by outsourcing are important to
virtually every medium or large organization. Most have multiple service providers processing personal information on their behalfâ??a customerservice call center, a pensions/benefits administrator, a payroll administrator. And, an increasing number of organizations have at least some of their data processed offshore. The consequences of ignoring the related data protection issues are significant. It's not just reputational risks that are growing,
there are also legal exposures to fines and civil penalties. In this
article, the authors identify the most common data protection issues created by outsourcing and similar service provider arrangements, and suggest practical solutions for addressing them.
"Put it in writing." Those four words used to be sage advice to parties looking to ensure their legal rights. The advent of technology and the essential reliance on computers to conduct business have made the traditional battle of the forms notion almost obsolete. Today, thanks to shrinkwrap, clickwrap, and other electronic agreements, there are a myriad of ways to form a contract, and even more ways to modify it. In a nutshell, contract management has become much more difficult in the digital age.
Discusses how vital it is to implement a solid electronic information retention system and provides practice pointers for choosing an appropriate methodology to fit your company's budget.
About 85 percent of all corporate espionage incidents involve current or past employees. Use this article to implement your battle plan.
Learn to better supervise the use of resources in patent studies, litigation and prosecution.