Practical perspectives on IP strategy, licensing, and patent enforcement by Kai-Erik Elers. Browse the summaries by topic and follow the links to read the original posts on LinkedIn.
Measuring the Impact of Spin-offs and Licensing
Spin-off activity produces visible measures of economic impact, while licensing outcomes can be harder to quantify. This post explores those differences and asks when a spin-off may be the most viable route to commercialization.
Understanding Your Licensing Counterpart
Successful licensing negotiations depend on understanding the other party’s experience and responsibilities. This post explores how a clear, non-binding term sheet can communicate key commercial terms and help business, technical, and legal discussions progress.
Licensing Options for Immature Technology
An option agreement can reserve future licensing rights while an immature technology develops. This post explores this lighter commitment alongside collaborative research, project management, and the practical challenges of managing technical uncertainty.
The Benefits and Risks of Early Licensing
Early technology licensing can offer attractive pricing and an opportunity to influence development. This post weighs those benefits against technical uncertainty and considers how collaboration can improve alignment between a licensee’s needs and research outcomes.
Technology Maturity and Licensing
A granted patent does not necessarily mean the underlying technology is commercially ready. This post explores technology readiness levels and how development uncertainty, investment requirements, and business risk affect technology licensing decisions.
What Motivates Inventors?
Inventor incentives extend beyond financial rewards. This post explores recognition, career development, research funding, and the relationship between invention value and licensing, asking how organizations can encourage inventiveness through a broader range of benefits.
Licensing Trade Secrets Without Revealing Them
How can a customer evaluate know-how without seeing the confidential details? This post explores how descriptions, demonstrated benefits, and development effort can communicate the value of a trade secret while preserving its secrecy.
Spin-offs as Part of IP Strategy
Spin-offs can create value from intellectual property that does not fit an organization’s existing business. This post considers how supporting entrepreneurship can strengthen commercialization, attract ambitious talent, and advance a business-driven IP strategy.
IP Strategy Evolution
IP strategy can evolve from protecting technology to generating income through licensing and selective patent enforcement. Drawing on VTT’s experience, this post explores how that evolution can turn intellectual property into an active business asset.