25
/ January
2012
Will patent reform serve to attract the capital required to improve IP values and stimulate innovation?
Glenn D. Sacks, CPA, of Marks Paneth & Shron LLP, writes the changes in patent law being ushered in by America Invents Act will work to increase the value of patent portfolios and create a system which spawns and nourishes innovation. Here’s how he sees it working:
- Increased funding of USPTO should lead to better initial examinations of patent applications, leading to higher quality patents and less litigation;
- Validity of patents granted should be easier to defend;
- “First-to-file gets the patent” should lead to less litigation on ownership issues;
- As a result of points 1-3, patents will be easier to monetize:
- Net cash flows are expected to be greater, yielding greater values;
- Greater value and less risk will allow IP owners to put more IP into collaborations.