AmiCOUR IP Group News and Opinions

Welcome to the AmiCOUR IP Blog.  We invite your comments.  Past Issues.

May 19. 2010 - Members of the Licensing Executives Society met in Boston this week where the traditional "we present, you listen" sessions were replaced with new interactive panel and roundtable discussions. Members addressed "hot topics" in intellectual property management. The appeal of the new format showed as members lined up in plenary sessions to ask compelling questions or report round table findings. Industry luminary Vanu Bose shared thoughts on balancing IP against first mover strategies. A lively "War and Peace" panel addressed "patent trolls" and "open source collaboration," including a touch of legal posturing followed by hardball audience questions.  Viewpoints were exchanged about the role of patent pools and new patent defensive consortiums. Read comments.

May 22. 2010 - (Editorial) May's news was dominated by the environmental damage from BP's leaking oil, with almost no mention of the dollar value of several tankers of oil floating freely in the Gulf of Mexico. Actor and inventor Kevin Kostner disclosed his $24 million investment in oil recovery and separation technology capable of collecting floating oil in massive volumes. Kostner's prototype produces 200 gallons per hour, with a market resale value of $300+. If Congress would pass a "you leak it, you lose it" law, treasure hunters might converge on the spill, profitably cleaning it up Waterworld style. Measured in dollars, the leak equates to about $5 million in floating black gold each day. Kevin, ask Congress to let you get your $150 million.  Read comments.

May 10, 2010 - It's Everest season again, so we checked out inventions that make reaching the top safer or easier. Inventing something for the world's highest climb is a spiritual way of getting there yourself. Popular Science's 2010 Top 100 Inventions included anti-fog goggles that proved their Everest effectiveness. Be sure you climb with patent sunscreen from "Helioplex" or "Anthelios with mexoryl." These slow the breakdown of SPF materials. We secured a Mt. Everest equipment checklist listing dozens of high tech essentials, including "photo-gray" contact lenses and "Gore Tex" clothing. More intriguing were "Charlet Moser Super 12 Rapidfix Lanieres" (spiked clamp-ons) and "Black Diamond Alpamayo" (an ice axe fitted to the climber). Low tech items included a baseball cap with a "good visor to shade the nose and eyes," a Swiss Army knife, and a  BIC lighter. Can you really flick your BIC in 100 mph winds at 30 degrees below zero?  Next to last was "toilet paper" (no specifics), and last, but not least, was "camera gear," listed as "optional." Read comments.