Click on the image below to see the full report: Link to Annual Report of Software Patent Litigation for 2012: https://www.syspect.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/annual-report-data-1.jpg Link to PwC 2012 M&A Outlook: http://www.pwc.com/en_US/us/transaction-services/publications/assets/pwc-technology-mergers-acquisitions-q4-2011-outlook.pdf Link to PwC 2012 Patent Litigation Report: http://www.pwc.com/en_US/us/forensic-services/publications/assets/2012-patent-litigation-study.pdf Link to PwC 2012 China M&A Outlook: http://www.pwcblogs.be/transactions/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2012-China-MA-Review-and-Outlook.pdf
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Technology cycle time is a measure of the pace of technological turnover by measuring the average age of patent citations. The following table shows the UPC subclasses with the fastest moving TCT for 2010. Only subclasses that have received at least 100 patent grants during 2010 are included. Results show communications IT, big data, vehicles navigation, computer conferencing constitute most of the classes.
Which of the top automakers is leading the software patenting charge towards autonomous vehicles? This chart shows which automakers have been acquiring patents since 2007. Looks like Honda and GM are really collecting the most patents with Nissan in the number 3 position. Expectedly data processing for vehicle navigation is by far the run-away top software UPC for patenting by most auto makers.
The first chart below shows the probability that a patent will become litigated for the whole USPTO (blue), commercial and business software IPC G06Q (red), and the total G06Q patent issued per year from 1990-2011. The chart tells the story pretty clearly. That is, software patents have a much higher possibility of litigation than average for the whole USPTO. Also, commercial software patenting is increasing significantly to over 3000 patents per year. In this data model probability is calculated by the number of litigated patents each year divided by a cumulative total of issued patents in each category starting in 1976. While patenting is increasing, litigation is increasing faster. The actual probabilities may be slightly higher than shown here considering that the cumulative totals are run from 1976 until the calculated year. The second chart showing the average age of litigated patents for the entire USPTO and G06Q show that…
The uncertainty in the dragons den of software patents may be driving many countries away from competing for patents. This is perhaps bad news for the US and further evidence that software patents restrict innovation. Considering that only 12.9% of software patents hold up upon litigation ( The study was carried out by John R. Allison, Mark A. Lemley & Joshua Walker for McCombs Graduate School of Business, University of Texas at Austin). The data are actually quite staggering. The chart above shows that the US holds approximately 55% of all USPTO patents in existence. On the other hand, The US holds almost 70% of all software patents in the US and even more staggeringly 85% of all business and commercial software patents.
Software patent policy keeps getting press for the amount of litigation rife. Many question whether the excessive litigation of software companies is hurting innovation and there are many sides to this story. Most agree the system is broken, but consensus lacks in how exactly to fix it. One example of how the system is broken involves Ceats Inc. They amassed many software patents regarding ticket selling software. However, last year a jury rejected the validity of their patents. The jury argued that prior art had already existed. Therefore there is a two-fold problem of A) The patent office ability to search for prior art or judge non-obviousness seems to be inadequate. B) If companies cannot rely on the validity of patents that have been issued, then ROE uncertainty is high and the possibility of getting sued by a patent troll would certainly deter large companies from entering into questionable markets….
Does social media allow us to become more polarized? It certainly allows us to socialize with the people we choose independent of where they are on the planet at any given time. I’m 33 years old and therefore I remember I was just a high school student when the Internet really became a viable tool for every day use in people’s homes and schools. At that time in a dormitory, apartment building, or neighborhood it was still common to make friends and socialize and get to know the people around your regardless of political differences that you have with them or even some social characteristics they have that may not match your own. These days it’s possible to avoid so many people that are around you every day because you can stay connected to other people so easily. I read research that shows people have a sort of maximum number…
Patent applications and grants are all public domain and searchable using a variety of sources (Google Patent Search, USPTO, NBER, & several proprietary sites). The problem with these sources is that they are unusable for conducting detailed patent research. Although they can help you find and read patents, and offer full-text and abstract search, they cannot compile patent statistics, or calculate indicators. It’s even impossible to generate and export a list of patent numbers based on your search criteria. In order to calculate these types of data required for meaningful research and patent management, a complete database is needed in an SQL server (MS-SQL server or MySQL for example). And while the USPTO data is available for download in a few formats, it’s no small task to download these files, parse them according to their changing format and then assemble a database. Luckily, someone has done the saintly task of…
Here is a list of my favorite podcasts and youtube channels to stay informed about the stock market. S&A Investor Radio Host: Frank Curzio: Renowned small stock specialist http://www.stansberryradio.com/Frank-Curzio The Disciplined Investor Host: Andrew Horrowitz: Money manager and market analyst http://www.thedisciplinedinvestor.com/blog/category/podcasts/ In the Money Stocks Host: Nick Santiago: Daily and intra-daily analysis for day traders http://www.youtube.com/user/inthemoneystocks?feature=watch
Is using Technological Cycle Time (TCT) an acceptable way to evaluate the vitality of an industry? If a firm was looking into expanding their core R&D competencies would an industry with a faster growth rate attract them? Rapid growth in an industry is like a forrest full of deer. Easy hunting and big rewards. On the other hand, stagnation can occur within a sector when serious technological hurdles start to slow the pace of development. In that situation, technological breakthroughs are needed in order to pave the way for continued growth (Kayal, 1999). According to Kayal’s theories and observations regarding technological progress in the superconductor and semiconductor fields, looking at the TCT for an industrial sector can give you an idea about the pace of technological development taking place. TCT of several IPCs is shown (thin colored lines) below. The overall range is generally between 5-8. All the IPC’s closely…
