GENEVA: I’m here in Geneva at the World International Patent Organization (WIPO) conference, where global patent hotshots like Giancarlo Caretti, the head of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer of the Joint Research Center of the European Commission and our own IP expert, world-renowned intellectual property attorney Tom Ewing, are training the world’s top international minds on how to figure out what a patent is really worth.
That information is key, especially considering the out-of-control patent wars exploding everywhere and rising patent prices. For instance, in a recent auction, Microsoft paid a little more than $1 million per patent. Whether this is a bubble is a cause for contention, but what everyone agrees is that IP is more valuable — particularly in mobile tech.
“How much do 2G, 3G, 4G patents go for,” Ewing told the room of world patent leaders. “What does Nokia, which holds most of the key patents, charge to license its patents? You could Google it but it would be wrong,” Ewing said. “The truth is, Nokia, which licenses its patents to every major company on the planet, doesn’t share the information.”
Shouldn’t the price be shared? “You are operating in an area where there is not a lot of data,” Ewing said.
As the event unfolds, I’ll add pictures, data and slides for all you IP junkies out there. Ewing currently is working on the official WIPO IP valuation guide. To learn more about WIPO, click here.
