U.S. patent application number 11/247658 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-09 for method of protecting against a change in value of intellectual property, and product providing such protection.
Invention is credited to Diane F. Covello, William M. JR. Risen.
Application Number | 20060031088 11/247658 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25510870 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060031088 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Risen; William M. JR. ; et
al. |
February 9, 2006 |
Method of protecting against a change in value of intellectual
property, and product providing such protection
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method of providing protection against an
unexpected change in value of an intellectual property asset, which
includes: (a). obtaining a description of at least one intellectual
property asset of a first party, (b). determining a value of the at
least one intellectual property asset, (c). determining a cost of
providing compensation for an unexpected change in value of the at
least one intellectual property asset, and (d). offering to provide
compensation for at least a portion of any unexpected change in
value of the at least one intellectual property asset to a person
with an interest in the first party. A corresponding data
processing system, insurance proposal form and computer-generated
insurance policy form also are disclosed. The method, system and
forms of the invention can be used, for example, as part of a "due
diligence" analysis in the context of the purchase and/or sale of
intellectual property assets.
Inventors: |
Risen; William M. JR.;
(Rumford, RI) ; Covello; Diane F.; (W. Hartford,
CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Diane F. Covello
125 Walbridge Road
West Hartford
CT
06119
US
|
Family ID: |
25510870 |
Appl. No.: |
11/247658 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09473662 |
Dec 29, 1999 |
6959280 |
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11247658 |
Oct 11, 2005 |
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08966062 |
Nov 8, 1997 |
6018714 |
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09473662 |
Dec 29, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/4 ;
705/310 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 50/184 20130101;
G06Q 40/08 20130101; G06Q 10/00 20130101; G06Q 99/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/001 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 99/00 20060101
G06Q099/00 |
Claims
1. A method of managing assets, comprising: identifying one or more
key intellectual property assets to be transferred, computing a
validity probability for each key intellectual property asset,
computing a licensing value for the key intellectual property
assets, and computer-generating an insurance proposal for
protecting against a change in value of the key intellectual
property assets during a predetermined post-transfer time
period.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the key intellectual property
assets include at least one of patents, trademarks and
copyrights.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the key intellectual property
assets include one or more patents.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the validity probability is based
on a study of prior art patents.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the validity probability is based
on a study of patent ownership.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein the validity probability is based
on a study of government regulations.
7. The method of claim 3, wherein the validity probability is based
upon a likelihood of a key intellectual property asset being
involved in a patent interference.
8. The method of claim 3, wherein the validity probability is based
upon a predicted outcome of a patent interference.
9. A method of providing a bank loan of a predetermined amount to a
corporate entity, comprising: identifying key intellectual property
assets owned by the corporate entity, computing a validity
probability for the key intellectual property assets, computing a
value for the key intellectual property assets based in part upon
the validity probability, obtaining an offer for an insurance
policy from a third party covering at least a portion of the value
of the key intellectual property assets, and providing the
corporate entity with the bank loan subject to an agreement by the
corporate entity to accept the offer for the insurance policy and
to guarantee the loan with the insurance policy.
10. A computer-generated insurance policy form offering to insure
at least a portion of the value of at least one intellectual
property asset exclusive of legal fees, the insurance policy form
being generated in connection with a proposed transfer of ownership
of said at least one intellectual property asset.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of copending U.S. application Ser.
No. 09/473,662 filed Dec. 29, 1999, which is a continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 08/966,062, filed Nov. 8, 1997 and issued as
U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,714.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to intellectual property, and
more particularly relates to protection against changes in value of
intellectual property.
[0003] Patents, trademarks, service marks, trade secrets, trade
dress rights and copyrights, referred to collectively herein as
"intellectual property," provide an owner with the right to exclude
others from making, using or selling particular product and
services. When a business or portion of a business is sold, the
seller and purchaser usually conduct a limited "due diligence"
analysis to determine a value for the portfolio of intellectual
property to be sold and purchased. Because an extensive analysis of
the intellectual property involves both legal and business value
analysis and, in the end, contains some unknown and unknowable
elements, the purchaser of a business often must assume a
reasonable degree of risk related to intellectual property. The
transaction, whether a sale, refinancing, investment decision or
other transaction, also poses risks to the directors of both
companies, financiers, lenders, and other parties, both as to their
investments and their liabilities.
[0004] It would be useful to provide a method of spreading the risk
which is associated with the purchase of intellectual property
among one or more parties who are neither purchasers or sellers of
the business.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An object of the invention is to provide a method of
spreading the financial risks associated with the purchase,
ownership and use of intellectual property.
[0006] Another object of the invention is to provide an insurance
product which protects the value of intellectual property
assets.
[0007] A further object of the invention is to provide a method of
insuring the validity of patents, trademarks, copyrights and other
intellectual property.
[0008] Yet another object of the invention is to provide insurance
for patents and other intellectual property in the context of
acquisitions and mergers.
[0009] Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the
remainder of the specification and the claims.
[0010] A preferred form of the invention is a method of providing
protection against an unexpected change in value of an intellectual
property asset, comprising: [0011] (a). obtaining a description of
at least one intellectual property asset of a first party, [0012]
(b). determining a value of said at least one intellectual property
asset, [0013] (c). determining a cost of providing compensation for
an unexpected change in value of said at least one intellectual
property asset, and [0014] (d). offering to provide compensation
for at least a portion of any unexpected change in value of said at
least one intellectual property asset to a person with an interest
in the first party.
[0015] In a particularly preferred form of the invention, the
method further comprises: [0016] (e). obtaining a first fee in
exchange for offering to provide compensation. Step (d) preferably
includes providing an evaluation of said at least one intellectual
property asset.
[0017] In another particularly preferred form of the invention,
steps (a)-(d) and optionally step (e) are executed by, or on behalf
of, an offeror, and the method further comprises: [0018] (f)
accepting the offer to provide compensation, step (f) being
executed by said person with an interest in the first party. Step
(f) preferably includes paying a second fee to the offeror.
[0019] In a preferred form of the invention, the "value" of the at
least one intellectual property asset in step (b) includes at least
one future value, and the unexpected change in value is determined
at the time for which said at least one future value was
determined. The value in step (b) preferably further includes a
current value of said at least one intellectual property asset.
[0020] The intellectual property asset preferably includes at least
one member selected from the group consisting of patent rights,
patent application rights, trademark rights, service mark rights,
copyright rights, trade secret rights and trade dress rights. The
"person with an interest in the first party" preferably is the
first party, an officer of the first party, a director of the first
party, a prospective purchaser of the intellectual property asset
or assets, or a director or officer of the prospective purchaser.
Even more preferably, the "person with an interest in the first
party" is a party other than the first party. Most preferably, the
"person with an interest in the first party is a prospective
purchaser and/or the officers and/or directors of the prospective
purchaser.
[0021] The "unexpected change in value" referred to above, if such
change occurs, preferably is based at least in part upon a legal
determination of invalidity and/or unenforceability of the patent,
trademark, copyright or other intellectual property right. In a
preferred from of the invention, the "value" of the asset includes
at least one of a financial value and a monopolistic right.
[0022] Step (b) of the method described above preferably includes
analyzing the validity of the intellectual property asset or
assets. Step (b) alternatively or also preferably includes
assigning a monetary value to the intellectual property asset or
assets.
[0023] In a particularly preferred from of the invention, the
intellectual property asset or assets include at least one patent
right. The intellectual property assets covered by the method of
the invention also can include pending patent applications.
[0024] The method of the invention most preferably is directed to a
situation in which compensation is offered to the party with an
interest in the first party in connection with (e.g. upon, after or
subject to) transfer of ownership of the intellectual property
asset or assets to a second party.
[0025] Another preferred form of the invention is a method of
insuring against a risk of an unexpected reduction in the value of
a patent right, comprising: [0026] assigning a value to the patent
right while the patent right is owned by a first party, [0027]
estimating the likelihood of an unexpected reduction in value of
the patent right, and [0028] agreeing to provide compensation to a
person with an interest in the first party for at least a portion
of any unexpected reduction in value of the patent right during a
particular period of time after receipt of an insurance premium,
the insurance premium being paid in connection with a transfer of
ownership of the patent right.
[0029] A further preferred form of the invention is a method of
providing protection against an unexpected change in value of at
least one intellectual property asset, comprising: [0030] (a).
obtaining a description of the at least one intellectual property
asset owned by a first party, [0031] (b). determining a value of
said at least one intellectual property asset, [0032] (c).
determining a cost of providing compensation for a future
unexpected change in value of said intellectual property asset, and
[0033] (d). agreeing to provide compensation to a person with an
interest in the first party for at least a portion of any future
unexpected change in value, the agreement being made in connection
with a transfer of said at least one intellectual property asset to
a second party.
[0034] Another preferred form of the invention is a data processing
system for use in administering an insurance program to insure the
value of an intellectual property asset, comprising: [0035] (a).
means for receiving a first numerical input which includes at least
one of the following numerical values or sets of values: [0036]
(i). a first numerical value or set of values which is
representative of the likelihood that the intellectual property
asset would be found valid if the validity of the asset was
determined by litigation, [0037] (ii). a second numerical value or
set of values which is representative of a predicted appraised
value of the intellectual property asset during a particular period
of time, and [0038] (iii). a third numerical value or set of values
which is representative of the likelihood of a competitive patent
causing a significant reduction in the predicted appraised value of
the intellectual property asset during a particular period of time,
and [0039] (b) means for calculating a proposed insurance premium
based upon at least the first numerical input.
[0040] A further preferred form of the invention is an insurance
proposal form, comprising: [0041] a plurality of first pattern
areas including alphanumeric characters representing a set of
insurable intellectual property assets owned by a first party,
[0042] a plurality of second pattern areas including alphanumeric
characters representing a likelihood that one or more particular
intellectual property assets in the set would be found valid and/or
enforceable if their validity and/or enforceability was determined
by litigation, and [0043] a plurality of third pattern areas
including alphanumeric characters representing a proposed premium
for insuring against an unexpected change in value of at least a
portion of the set of insurable intellectual property assets. The
form preferably further comprises a plurality of fourth pattern
areas including alphanumeric characters representing a person
designated to receive the insurance proposal form, said person
being a party with an interest in the first party.
[0044] Yet another preferred form of the invention is an insurance
proposal form, comprising: [0045] a plurality of first pattern
areas including alphanumeric characters representing a set of
insurable intellectual property assets owned by a first party,
[0046] a plurality of second pattern areas including alphanumeric
characters representing a proposed premium for insuring the
proposed set of insurable intellectual property assets, and [0047]
a plurality of third pattern areas including alphanumeric
characters representing a second party designated to receive the
insurance proposal form, the second party being a proposed
purchaser of the set of insurable intellectual property assets.
[0048] In yet another preferred form, the invention is a
computer-generated insurance policy form offering to insure at
least a portion of the value of at least one intellectual property
asset exclusive of legal fees, the insurance policy form being
generated in connection with a proposed transfer of ownership of
said at least one intellectual property asset. The policy form
preferably is directed to patent rights.
[0049] Yet another preferred form of the invention is a
computer-generated insurance form for protecting a right to
practice technology which is described in an agreement to transfer
intellectual property assets of a company, the computer-generated
insurance form being generated in connection with a proposal to
transfer ownership of the intellectual property assets from a first
party to a second party.
[0050] Another embodiment of the invention is a method of providing
protection against a change in value of an intellectual property
asset, comprising: (1) obtaining a description of an intellectual
property asset owned by a first party, (2) determining a value of
said intellectual property asset, (3) determining a cost of
providing compensation for a future change in value of said
intellectual property asset, (4) agreeing to provide compensation
to a second party for at least a portion of any future change in
value upon, after, or subject to transfer of said intellectual
property asset to the second party, and (5) collecting at least a
portion of said cost of providing compensation.
[0051] A further embodiment of the invention is an insurance policy
for insuring at least a portion of the value of an intellectual
property asset, the insurance policy becoming effective at a time
of transfer of ownership of said at least one intellectual property
asset.
[0052] Another embodiment of the invention is a method of insuring
intellectual property which includes the above-described method of
providing protection against a change in value of intellectual
property and also includes other types of insurance protection for
the intellectual property, such as, for example, payment of legal
fees and other expenses associated with the enforcement of
intellectual property rights.
[0053] Further forms of the invention are a method and an insurance
product for protecting a right to practice technology which is
described in an agreement to transfer intellectual property assets
of a company, the term of the insurance commencing at the time of
transfer of the assets from a first party to a second party.
[0054] Yet another form of the invention is a method of providing
protection against a risk of reduction in value of at least one
patent right, comprising: assigning a value to the patent right
while the patent right is owned by a first party, estimating the
likelihood of a reduction in value of the patent right, and
agreeing to provide compensation for at least a portion of any
reduction in value of the patent right during a particular period
of time after receipt of an insurance premium, the insurance
premium being paid in connection with a transfer of the patent
right to a second party.
[0055] The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and
the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of
the others and the article possessing the features, properties, and
the relation of elements exemplified in the following detailed
disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0056] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for issuing an
insurance proposal according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention.
[0057] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of a data
processing system according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0058] The present invention provides for a sharing of the risk
associated with the purchase, sale and/or ownership of intellectual
property assets. Furthermore, the legal, technical and financial
analysis which is conducted in connection with underwriting an
insurance product to cover an intellectual property asset can also
serve as a component in a "due diligence" analysis which is
conducted in preparation for the purchase or sale of a business or
portion of a business. Thus, the invention can provide the
directors of a selling or purchasing company with protection
against claims that they had incorrectly assessed the intellectual
property of a company involved in an asset transfer. Non-limiting
examples of situations in which the method and product of the
invention would be useful are described below on Table 1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 SOME COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN WHICH THE
USE OF THE METHODS AND PRODUCTS OF THIS PATENT SHOULD BE VALUABLE:
ENTITY EVENT THAT IS CONTRACTING FOR PLANNED OR POSSIBLE INSURANCE
PROPOSAL POTENTIAL APPLICATION Company A to Company B Company B
wants insurance that will compensate them in be sold to the event
that (1) one of Company A's key patents is Company B subsequently
found to be invalid or unenforceable, and/or (2) they are not free
to operate under a valid patent and are put out of the business (or
have specified diminished business) because of another patent in
the area. Company A to Directors and/or The directors and/or
officers want to insure themselves in be sold to Officers of the
event that current shareholders in Company A claim Company B
Company A they sold the company for too low a price because they
did not realize the value of the intellectual property. They also
want insurance to cover any liability in the event that Company B
or its owners claim that the Directors of Company A did not satisfy
their due diligence requirement with respect to disclosure of
information that could materially impact the value of the company.
Company A to Merger and The brokers of the deal to purchase and
resell Company A, be sold to Acquisition or to merge Company A into
another entity, wants to insure Company B Brokers that they are
assessing the value of the company accurately and to protect their
investment. In the resale or merger transaction, they want to
insure against losses due to purchaser claims that they
misrepresented the value of the intellectual property of Company A.
Company A to Directors and/or They want to insure themselves to
cover any potential be sold to Officers of damages awarded to
shareholders in Company B due to the Company B Company B fact that
Company B's Directors paid too much for Company A because they did
not do a competent job of evaluating the value of Company A's
intellectual property. Company A to Financiers of They want
insurance to cover their losses in the event that be sold to
Company B, such their capital is lost (or their customers' capital
is lost) due Company B as bankers, stock to a poor assessment of
the value of Company A because issue underwriters the intellectual
property is valued incompetently. Company A to Company B They want
insurance to cover the losses they incur as a be sold to result of
the fact that knowledge (about facts, events or Company B trends
that prove to have a material impact on the profitability of the
company) known to Company A was not revealed by Company A or its
owners at the time of sale. Company A Company A Company A needs to
be able to demonstrate to a applies for a governmental regulatory
agency that it is a qualified license to applicant by demonstrating
that it has the right to employ operate certain intellectual
property. Company A Company A Company A needs to be able to
demonstrate that it has the makes a right to employ certain
intellectual property, such as contract operational patents,
trademarks, or copyrights needed to proposal to fulfill the
contract. Company D Company A Company A The President of Company A
wants insurance to cover the has a possibility that an investment
in using the intellectual provisional property covered by a
provisional patent application (e.g. patent which it in building a
plant to use a technology) will not be wasted wants to be a or
devalued because Company A could not obtain a valid valid issued
patent with substantially the same claims. patent Company A
Financiers of The financiers (bankers, etc.) of Company A wants has
a Company A's Company A to have insurance to cover the possibility
that provisional investment plans an investment in using the
intellectual property covered by patent which it a provisional
patent application (e.g. building a plant to use wants to be a a
technology) will not be wasted or devalued because valid issued
Company A could not obtain a valid patent with patent substantially
the same claims Company A Company A Company A wants insurance
(proposal) to cover any losses has a trade of profits due to
disclosure to a competitor of any legal secret that method or
information about competing in the could become marketplace. This
could be a technical or a business known to a method or piece of
information, but it must be one that is competitor legal to use and
rightfully obtained, not one such as how to evade another entity's
patent or how to evade laws.
[0059] In general, intellectual property can be described as the
legal grant of a right to exclude others from engaging in certain
activities during a certain period of time in a certain region. An
agreement to insure intellectual property rights thus can be viewed
as an agreement to provide compensation to the insured party if
that party's right to exclude is lost or is terminated sooner than
expected.
[0060] One of the most preferred embodiments of the invention is
specifically directed to the context of a purchase and sale of
intellectual property assets. While other insurance products may
cover, for example, a portion of the litigation costs associated
with enforcing or defending a patent, or in defending the sale or
use of a product or process which is patented by another, one
preferred embodiment of the invention is instead directed to
insuring the validity of the intellectual property in a manner
analogous to protecting real estate with title insurance.
[0061] As used herein, "unexpected change in value" refers to a
change in value which results from information which was not known
to the insurance company or to the insured party at the time that
the insurance policy was issued. Stated another way, this
unexpected change is the difference between the actual change in
value over time and any expected change in value over time. The
value of an intellectual property asset will be expected to
decrease as any predetermined expiration date of exclusivity
approaches, such as the expiration date of a patent or copyright.
Value of an intellectual property asset also may be expected to
change as a result, for example, of the likelihood that the
technology covered by the intellectual property asset will
eventually be rendered obsolete due to new technology which is
unknown, or which is known but is not yet commercialized. The
amount of an expected change in value can be agreed upon by the
parties or can be determined by the insurance company or other
party which evaluates the intellectual property. On the other hand,
value of an intellectual property asset may change unexpectedly as
a result of technology which is unknown at the time the insurance
policy is issued. Furthermore, value of an intellectual property
asset will change if the asset is found as a result of legal
proceedings to be invalid or unenforceable. Depending upon the
language of the insurance policy, this type of unexpected change in
value of the insured intellectual property may be compensated for
under the policy.
[0062] An "unexpected change in value" preferably, but not
necessarily, is exclusive of the amount of attorneys fees expended
or which would need to be expended in order to preserve the
exclusive rights and ownership rights of the intellectual property
asset. It is contemplated that the method of the invention covers
monetary losses, such as reduced profits or lost market share,
connected with a loss of exclusivity of the rights which were
believed to be protected by (1) an intellectual property asset
which subsequently is found to be invalid or unenforceable, and/or
(2) an intellectual property asset which is devalued as a result of
another patent in the area. In a particularly preferred embodiment
of the invention, an "unexpected change in value" does not include
(3) the attorney's fees relating to infringement, validity,
enforceability and/or ownership disputes for intellectual property.
However, the method of the invention can cover (1), (2) and (3) in
combination.
[0063] With respect to liability of merger and acquisition brokers
and the directors and officers of sellers or purchasers, in the
preferred embodiment of the invention, an "unexpected change in
value" refers to a degree to which an intellectual property
portfolio has been undervalued or overvalued. In this context, an
insurance policy according to the invention typically would
compensate the directors, officers or brokers for damages for which
they are liable, and if covered by the policy, their attorneys fees
in the lawsuit.
[0064] When the intellectual property asset is a patent, the step
of obtaining a "description of at least one intellectual property
asset" which is recited in the claims generally entails obtaining a
copy of the patent, and, in at least some cases, its file history.
For other intellectual property assets, a description of the asset
may entail a copy, sample, specimen, prototype, and/or written
description of the asset.
[0065] "A first party" as this language is used in the claims
refers to the owner (or in some cases the licensee) of the
intellectual property asset or assets at the time that the asset or
assets are valued. "A person with an interest in the first party"
can be, for example, one or more of the parties listed in column 2
of Table 1 above, including the first party itself Most frequently,
this person will be a corporation which is a potential purchaser or
licensee of the intellectual property asset or assets, the
directors of the potential purchaser or licensee, or the officers
of the potential purchaser or licensee, as these persons likely
have a strong interest in obtaining a thorough analysis of the
intellectual property asset or assets which they intend to purchase
or license.
[0066] The step of determining a value of an intellectual property
asset generally includes two parts. First, a legal analysis is
conducted to confirm the validity and enforceability of the patent
or other intellectual property asset. For a patent, this generally
will involve a validity search and opinion, confirmation of correct
ownership of the patent, correct inventorship of the patent, and an
analysis of the enforceability of the patent. This analysis may
include, for example, not only a study of prior art patents and
literature but also may include interviews, histories, depositions,
etc. of inventors or other relevant persons including but not
limited to those who might not be available at a later date because
they leave the company. The likelihood of the patent or patent
application being involved in interference proceedings, and a
predicted outcome of the interference, also may be considered. For
a copyright, the analysis generally will involve confirmation of
originality in the author. For a trade secret, the analysis will
involve confirmation that proper steps have been followed to
maintain "trade secret status" under the law. For trademarks and
service marks, registrations will be confirmed along with correct
usage of the marks and, if necessary, a search of confirm that no
prior user rights exist which are not known to the prospective
purchaser.
[0067] The second step of valuation of the intellectual property
asset is the assignment of a monetary value to the intellectual
property asset. For example, if the asset is a patent and if one or
more claims of the patent are found to be valid and enforceable in
the legal analysis, a value is then assigned to the patent. This
value can be based, for example, upon the income and profits
generated by the sale or use of the patented technology, the number
of years remaining on the term of the patent, the breadth of the
patent claims, the nature of the patented technology, the nature of
competitive products or processes, etc. One such method is
described below in Prophetic Example 2. Other intellectual property
assets can be assigned a monetary value in conventional ways by
persons who specialize in, or have the skills needed, to value
intellectual property. In another embodiment of the invention, the
prospective purchaser of the intellectual property asset assigns
their own value to the intellectual property, similar to the manner
in which the U.S. Post Office allows a customer who purchases
insurance for a parcel to select the desired amount of insurance
coverage. While this latter valuation technique is simpler, it is
likely to be more difficult to use in statistically determining an
appropriate insurance premium.
[0068] After the patent or other intellectual property has been
valued, an actuarial analysis or other technique can be used to
determine a suitable premium for insuring the value of the patent
or other intellectual property. In the patent claims which are
provided below, this premium is referred to in a general way as "a
cost of providing compensation for an unexpected change in value"
of the intellectual property asset or assets. In addition to using
the value determined for the patent or other intellectual property
asset as a basis for setting the premium, many of the same
considerations involved in determining that value can be used again
to determine a suitable premium for insuring the intellectual
property asset or assets.
[0069] After a suitable insurance premium has been determined, the
insurance company, agent of the insurance company, a person who has
a relationship with the insurance company or another entity which
functions as an insurance company in the context of the method of
the invention prepares a contract proposal. In the proposal, the
insurance company or other authorized person offers to provide
compensation for at least a portion of any unexpected change in
value of the intellectual property asset if the change occurs or is
first recognized during a particular period in time. In the context
of a transfer of ownership of an intellectual property asset,
coverage typically would begin after ownership of the intellectual
property asset has been transferred to the purchaser. In some
instances, coverage could extend to cases in which a loss in value
occurs prior to transfer but the reduction is not known to the
purchaser until after the time of purchase.
[0070] In exchange for insurance coverage, the insured party or
prospective insured party would pay an insurance premium at an
appropriate time. In one embodiment of the invention, it is
envisioned that the insurer would pay the insured party the value
of the intellectual property which is insured minus a deductible if
the intellectual property asset or assets were subsequently found
to be invalid or unenforceable in a court of law. Other variations
of this embodiment could include partial payments by the insurer
if, for example, the intellectual property asset were found to have
a substantially lower value than originally thought, due, for
example, to the development of a noninfringing competitive product
by a third party.
[0071] Once a premium has been set, it typically is scheduled to be
paid within a period of time after execution of the insurance
contract. When the policy is to take effect subject to transfer of
the intellectual property asset to a second party, it preferably
can be paid as part of the transaction costs. The premium typically
is paid by the purchaser of the intellectual property, but other
payment arrangements also are within the scope of the invention.
For example, the seller may have an interest in purchasing
insurance to avoid the risk of being sued in the future on an issue
relating to warranties made in connection with the sale of
intellectual property assets. It is also within the scope of the
invention to insure license rights to intellectual property. This
type of insurance might be sought by a licensee who plans to invest
substantial resources into technology which is licensed from
another. In this case, the licensee would collect on the insurance
if it was unable to enforce rights under the patent after making
substantial investments in order to practice the patented
technology or make or sell a patented product.
[0072] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a single premium
is paid to provide insurance for a patent for a predetermined
period of time, such as the life of the patent or a period of time,
such as one, two, three, five or ten years, which may correspond to
the time period for which it is believed that the technology
claimed in the patent will be important to the purchaser.
[0073] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the
insurance contract proposal prepared by the insurance company (or
another entity which provides information or services to the
insurance company) is presented to the prospective insured entity
in exchange for a fee, which compensates the insurance company or
other entity for the preparation of the proposal, including the
costs of legal and financial advice, which may come from third
parties, at a price agreed to by the insurance company. The
insurance contract proposal can, but need not necessarily, contain
some or all of the information used in formulating the proposal,
such as legal opinions, assessments, estimates, evaluations and
valuations. The prospective insured can be offered the option of
having these informational bases directly submitted to the
potential insured by their originators without substantial
modification of content. These legal and financial opinions could
be used by a prospective seller or purchaser as part of its "due
diligence" analysis which is conducted in anticipation of selling
or purchasing the intellectual property assets which are the
subject of the insurance proposal. As these opinions would have
been fully paid for by the proposed insured party, they can be kept
by the proposed insured party even if the party decides to decline
insurance coverage.
[0074] The method of the invention preferably is carried out using
one or more computer programs to generate insurance proposal forms.
The computer program or programs preferably include a data
processing system which receives numerical input and calculates a
proposed insurance premium based upon the numerical input.
[0075] As indicated above, one aspect of valuing an intellectual
property asset is to assign it a monetary or financial value.
Assigning a monetary value to a patent can be difficult. One
preferred method of assigning such a value is to retain a firm
which specializes in the valuation of intellectual property, such
as Trademark and Licensing Associates, Inc. For example, it may be
useful to apply the VALMATRIX system of valuation, which was
developed by Trademark and Licensing Associates, Inc. This system
is proprietary to the owner, and can be used by the owner to
provide a party with a valuation of intellectual property upon
payment of appropriate compensation. Another method for assigning a
value to a patent would be to use the method described in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,608,620, assuming that the method described in claim 6 of
this patent can be modified for that purpose. Further methods are
described below in the Examples. Furthermore, a recognizably
arbitrary valuation could be placed on the intellectual property
for any expressed business purpose or reason recognized by the
insurance company.
[0076] From a practical standpoint, the method of the invention can
be described by the following three-step process:
[0077] Step 1. Ascertaining the facts about the issues, including
[0078] the pertinent facts for insuring intellectual property
according to the method of the invention, including, e.g., [0079]
a. what business and legal risks are to be addressed by the
insurance, [0080] b. what relevant intellectual property exists,
and [0081] c. what business facts should be considered.
[0082] Step 2. Evaluating the intellectual property, both legally
and financially.
[0083] Step 3. Formulating and presenting for sale to the potential
insured entity an insurance contract proposal which contains those
legal and other opinions, evaluations, and studies about the
entities and their intellectual properties that were used to
formulate the policy proposal. It also contains the terms and
conditions of the policy.
[0084] These steps may be understood better by considering them in
the following ways.
[0085] Step 1, ascertaining the facts about the issues, is an
important step that preferably goes well beyond the fact-gathering
which typically is involved in exercising diligence in a sale or
other business event, because one purpose here is to contribute to
assessing a risk that can be covered by the insurance policy. Thus,
ascertaining what risks that are to be addressed by insurance is a
significant part of the invention, although it usually is not a
part of other legal assessments of intellectual property. It is a
key part of the formulation of an insurance proposal, and it helps
to define and limit what legal and business facts are relevant.
Furthermore, ascertaining the relevant business facts, especially
financial information, typically is not part of an assessment of a
legal position, but it is important to evaluating the intellectual
property position of a company and making an insurance proposal.
Clearly, it is necessary to ascertain the legal facts and the
additional information that is needed to understand them.
[0086] In Step 2, the intellectual property is legally evaluated
and financially valued. In one approach to financial valuation of
the intellectual property, legal evaluations are carried out using
the accepted legal practices with additional advice, as needed,
from appropriate experts in law and other matters. The financial
evaluations can be assigned by agreement or reached through a
valuation process. In one method of the invention, a number of
parameters describing the intellectual property are defined. Each
parameter is then assigned a numerical value. The numerical values
are utilized in determining the financial terms of the insurance
contract proposal.
[0087] Step 3, formulating an insurance contract proposal, involves
determining which portions of the legal evaluation and financial
valuation are to be provided to the insured party, and defining the
scope, duration and cost of proposed insurance coverage. In one
preferred form of the invention, the insurance proposal includes
the legal and financial opinions which are used as a basis for
determining insurance premiums and dollar limits of coverage
available for a particular intellectual property portfolio. The
legal and financial opinions normally are to be paid for by the
party seeking insurance whether or not the party eventually
executes an insurance contract.
[0088] FIGS. 1 and 2 are included in order to provide an increased
understanding of the invention but are not intended to limit the
scope of the invention.
[0089] Referring to FIG. 1, a flowchart that illustrates a method
of preparing and issuing an insurance proposal for intellectual
property assets is shown and is designated as 10. The intellectual
property that is to be the subject of the proposal is selected in
step 12. A validity and enforceability analysis of the intellectual
property is conducted in step 14. An expected monetary value or set
of values for the intellectual property during period T is
determined in step 16. This value or set of values is provided to
the proposed insurer in step 18. Suitable values for premium,
coverage, and the term of coverage are determined in step 20, and
an insurance proposal form is generated in step 22.
[0090] Referring to FIG. 2, a flowchart showing the operation of a
data processing system according to one preferred form of the
invention is shown and is designated as 30. At least one input 32,
34, or 36 is input into the data processing system. Input 32 is a
first numerical value or set of values which is representative of
the likelihood that the intellectual property asset would be found
valid if the validity of the asset was determined by litigation.
Input 34 is a second numerical value or set of values which is
representative of a predicted appraised value of the intellectual
property asset during a particular period of time. Input 36 is a
third numerical value or set of values which is representative of
the likelihood of a competitive intellectual property asset causing
a significant reduction in the predicted appraised value of the
intellectual property asset during a particular period of time. The
data processing system processes the input data in step 38 and
delivers an output in the form of an insurance proposal at 40.
[0091] The following Examples are included in order to provide a
better understanding of the invention but are not intended to limit
the scope of the invention in any way.
PROPHETIC EXAMPLE 1
[0092] Company A is preparing to purchase Company B. Company A
obtains a list of the intellectual property assets owned by Company
B. Company A provides the list of intellectual property assets to
Valuator, which preferably is an independent firm or a division or
subsidiary of Insurance Company D. Valuator works with Company A to
determine which intellectual property assets of Company B should be
insured. These assets are referred to as IIPA (identified
intellectual property assets), and typically include the
intellectual property assets of Company B which Company A believes
are the most valuable. Valuator then obtains a legal analysis of
the validity and enforceability of the IIPA by hiring a competent
patent attorney to write a legal opinion of validity and
enforceability. Company A pays for the legal analysis and for the
services of Valuator in obtaining the legal opinion. If the legal
opinion is favorable, Valuator obtains an opinion of the monetary
value of the IIPA during a particular period of time in the future
by hiring a competent valuator of intellectual property. Company A
pays for the financial analysis and pays for the additional
services of Valuator. Preferably Company A pays its fees for the
legal evaluation and the financial valuation directly to the
insurance company, Company D, but in some cases payment may be made
directly to Valuator or to persons retained by Valuator to provide
services.
[0093] Valuator then provides the underwriters at Insurance Company
D (or outside underwriters retained by Insurance Company D) with
the legal and financial analysis of the IIPA. Insurance Company D
provides Company A with a proposal to insure the validity and
enforceability of the IIPA for the monetary value determined by
Valuator minus a particular deductible. Company A then has the
option of accepting the insurance proposal. If Company A accepts
the proposal, Company A typically will enter into an agreement with
Company D in which Company A will pay the insurance premium to
Company D when Company A becomes the owner of the IIPA. Assuming
that Company A becomes the owner of the IIPA and pays the insurance
premium, Company A will be entitled to collect on the policy if the
monetary value of the IIPA subsequently is determined to be
incorrect as a result of the IIPA being found invalid or
unenforceable.
PROPHETIC EXAMPLE 2
[0094] Company A is preparing to purchase Company B. Company A
approaches Insurance Company D for insurance to cover the value of
six patents covering the best-selling computer system of Company B.
Company A is interested in purchasing insurance to compensate them
in the event that the technology package covered by the six key
patents is rendered obsolete in the next thirty six months as a
result of technology which has appeared in two 18-month foreign
patent publications owned by a particular competitor but which has
not yet been patented in the U.S. by the competitor.
[0095] Some of the facts to be ascertained and utilized by
Insurance Company D in step 1 include (1) "right to use" insurance
related to the technology covered by its six existing patents is
sought by Company A for a period of three years, (2) Company B has
six relevant patents, (3) there are likely to be pending U.S.
patent applications owned by the competitor which correspond to the
18-month foreign patent publications, and (4) the value of the
right to use these patents for the succeeding three years may be
reduced if U.S. patents issue to the competitor.
[0096] In Step 2, a number of parameters describing the
intellectual property are defined. Then, the values of these
parameters are evaluated. Any suitable method for carrying out this
actual evaluation, such as the method described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,608,620, the VALMATRIX method of Trademark and Licensing
Associates, Inc., a method consisting only of specified and agreed
evaluations, or a method based on the expert opinions can be used
to carry out this step. One approach, which is limited in
definition and application, is described in the following
paragraphs. Other suitable evaluation methods may be used within
the spirit of this invention.
[0097] Illustrative Method For Step 2
[0098] Each piece of intellectual property is specified by a set of
parameters of the form X.sub.i,j,k where i indexes the type of
intellectual property, j indexes the field of application (e.g. a
product or process), and k indexes the number of the intellectual
property of the type i,j. For example, if i=1 means that the
intellectual property is a patent, j=3 indicates that it relates to
the third process used by the company, and k=6 indicates that it is
the sixth patent that relates to the third process, the parameters
relating to this piece of intellectual property would be of the
type X.sub.1,3,6.
[0099] These X.sub.i,j,k parameters contain information about a
particular item of intellectual property. There are as many
X.sub.i,j,k variables as needed to describe a particular piece of
intellectual property. A simple set is defined in Tables 2 and 3.
Those in Table 2 describe intellectual property of a subject
company, called Co. A. There, parameters A through F are defined
for several types of intellectual property of Co. A. Those in Table
3 describe the intellectual property of a competitor, called Co. D.
There, parameters K through R are defined for several types of
intellectual property. These parameters can be numbers or they can
be functions of other variables, such as time.
[0100] By way of illustration, C.sub.1,3,6 is the probability that
the sixth patent held by company A and relating to its third
product will be found to be valid. The other parameters relate
broadly to the existence of a piece of property (A.sub.i,j,k), to
the validity of its ownership (B.sub.i,j,k), to the probability of
its legal validity (C.sub.i,j,k), to the probability of it being
employed for commercial purposes (D.sub.i,j,k), to the probability
that its validity will be tested (E.sub.i,j,k), and to the
contribution it makes to the company financially (F.sub.i,j,k).
While these definitions do not cover all possible variables (e.g.,
they do not designate country of coverage and other
considerations), they help to illustrate the way in which
evaluations of these aspects of the intellectual properties could
be recorded in the form of the parameters. The parameters in this
form could be used to prepare the overall evaluations and the
insurance proposal.
[0101] The relevant parameters are identified for a particular
case. The values of some of the parameters can be determined by
agreement between the insurance company and the proposed insured.
The values of the others are determined by an appropriate
evaluation method. The evaluation method could be, for example, one
of the methods referred to above, or a method which involves
obtaining the opinion of one or more experts in the field. The
preferred method is to obtain the opinions from the most
experienced available expert for each issue and to obtain the
opinion of two more highly qualified experts for those areas where
there is reason to consult further or where there is a large
financial risk. Once the values for these parameters have been
obtained, they can be used to evaluate the overall terms of the
insurance policy.
[0102] Using the values assigned by agreement between the insurance
company and the proposed insured or obtained by expert evaluation,
a number of types of derived values can be obtained. For example,
the net asset value of Co. A's position in business area j can be
calculated. One way to do that, using the definitions in Tables 2
and 3, is to employ a relationship such as the following: The net
intellectual asset value of Co. A's position in business area j can
be taken to be Z.sub.j=V.sub.j-I.sub.j. Here, V.sub.j is the value
of the intellectual property of Co. A in business area j. And,
I.sub.j is the impact on Co. A in this business area of the
intellectual property of the other entities in the world, which are
represented in this case by Co. D.
[0103] Since V j = i .times. k .times. V ijk , ##EQU1## where
V.sub.ijk=A.sub.ijk B.sub.ijk C.sub.ijk D.sub.ijk E.sub.ijk
F.sub.ijk, and I j = i .times. k .times. I ijk , ##EQU2## where
I.sub.ijk=K.sub.ijk L.sub.ijk M.sub.ijk N.sub.ijk Q.sub.ijk
R.sub.ijk, the expression Z.sub.j=V.sub.j-I.sub.j can be obtained.
The change in value could be expressed in the form Y j = I j + i
.times. k .times. A ijk .function. [ ( 1 - B ijk ) + ( 1 - C ijk )
] .times. D ijk .function. ( 1 - E ijk ) .times. F ijk , ##EQU3##
where account is taken of the way probabilities of various
combinations of events occurring can be combined. With such
evaluations of value and probable change in value of the
intellectual property position, the insurance policy can be
addressed.
[0104] Step 3. The insurance policy generally contains the
following elements. It contains the legal and financial analyses
and other information about the company, Co. A, on which the
insurance proposal is based. These may merely contain conclusions,
such as numerical values assigned to particular intellectual
property assets or sets of intellectual property assets or may
include a comprehensive legal and financial analysis of one or more
pieces of intellectual property. Furthermore, it contains insurance
policy proposals to provide coverage whose extent is agreed between
the insurer and the insured. These policy provisions are binding on
the insurance company. The insurance policy proposal and the
supporting work is purchased by the potential insured. Typically,
the purchase is made pursuant to an initial contract to prepare
this proposal.
[0105] On the basis of the facts and evaluations, the insurance
company presents, in exchange for a fee, an insurance contract
proposal to compensate Company A in an amount equal to the value of
using the patents if they are prevented from doing so in the
subsequent two years for legal reasons in exchange for a premium of
one-tenth of that value per three month period. TABLE-US-00002
TABLE 2 Definitions of Parameters Employed in Exemplary
Applications of the Invention: Parameters Concerning Company A (see
Note 1) A i j k obtained by meaning of parameter A.sub.1jk 1
definition A patent exists in business area j. It is the k.sup.th
patent in this area. and search The value of this parameter can be
0 or 1 in any given period, or it can be any value between 0 and 1
for a projected average value at a given time or over a given
period. For example, it may be 0.5 for a calculation that employs
the evaluated probability of a pending patent being in force at a
given time being 0.5. Clearly, A.sub.ijk is generally a function of
time, at least, and can be specified functionally in terms of the
relevant parameters, such as time, investment required to
prosecute, legal entity where valid, etc. A.sub.2jk 2 same A patent
application has been filed with specified anticipated claims
relative to area j. It is the k.sup.th such item. A.sub.3jk 3 same
A trademark exists in area j. It is the k.sup.th trademark in this
area. A.sub.4jk 4 same A copyright exists in area j. It is the
k.sup.th copyright in this area. A.sub.5jk 5 same A trade secret
exists and is specified and documented in area j. It is the
k.sup.th trade secret in this area. A.sub.6jk 6 same A specific key
person in the company has abilities to provide specific utility in
area j. This is the k.sup.th key person in this area. B i j k
obtained by meaning of parameter B.sub.1jk 1 evaluation probability
that the ownership, title, current effectiveness (paid up fees,
etc.), lack of fraud result in a validly owned patent B.sub.2jk 2
evaluation same as above, but for the patent application. This
includes the information required to prosecute the patent
application to issuance B.sub.3jk 3 evaluation same as above, but
applied to trademark B.sub.4jk 4 evaluation same as above, but
applied to copyright B.sub.5jk 5 evaluation same as above, but
applied to legitimacy of a trade secret, proprietary information,
etc. B.sub.6jk 6 evaluation probability of continuing a productive
employment relationship with a person who is key to business
success in area j in the face of a challenge to that continuance. C
i j k obtained by meaning of parameter C.sub.1jk 1 evaluation
probability that the patent will be found valid (note that this
applies to the claims that are relevant to the company's business
in area j) C.sub.2jk 2 evaluation probability that a valid patent
containing substantially the same claims as are contemplated in the
patent application will issue to the company in a timely way.
C.sub.3jk 3 evaluation probability that the trademark will be found
to be valid C.sub.4jk 4 evaluation probability that the copyright
will be found to be valid C.sub.5jk 5 evaluation probability that a
purported trade secret has value beyond what could be done by a
person normally skilled in the art that is applicable to area j.
C.sub.6jk 6 evaluation probability that the key person has
effectively useful knowledge that is irreplaceable in a practical
way in terms of the business purpose associated with area j. D i j
k obtained by meaning of parameter D.sub.1jk 1 evaluation or
probability of use for a commercial purpose, including sale or
agreement licensing, in area j. (Note that it could become useful
in another, not currently commercial, manner in the instant
company, or it could be sold for other applications. In those
cases, the value of j is different.) D.sub.2jk 2 same same as
above, but for the intellectual property in the patent application,
whether granted as a patent or withdrawn and used as a trade
secret. D.sub.3jk 3 same same as above, but for the trademark
D.sub.4jk 4 same same as above, but for the copyright D.sub.5jk 5
same same as above, but for the trade secret D.sub.6jk 6 same same
as above, but for the contribution of the key person E i j k
obtained by meaning of parameter E.sub.1jk 1 evaluation or The
probability that the validity of the k.sup.th patent in area j will
not be agreement tested legally. E.sub.2jk 2 evaluation or same as
above, but applied to issued patent based on the patent agreement
application E.sub.3jk 3 evaluation or same as above, but applied to
the k.sup.th trademark in area j. agreement E.sub.4jk 4 evaluation
or same as above, but applied to the k.sup.th copyright in area j.
agreement E.sub.5jk 5 evaluation or probability that the trade
secret will not be learned by a competitor agreement E.sub.6jk 6
evaluation or probability that the key person will not be presented
with a agreement commercial opportunity to leave the employ of the
company. F i j k obtained by meaning of parameter F.sub.1jk 1
evaluation or Contribution to the company financially. This could
be agreed agreement between the parties, this and could be the
gross profits from products sold monopolistically, license fees,
perceived value from advertising the existence of the patent, the
cost avoidance enabled by practicing the invention, the profits
generated in a business due to the freedom to operate provided by
the patent, the future market development, or any other financially
defined contribution attributed in area j to the k.sup.th patent.
F.sub.2jk 2 evaluation or same as above, but asssociated with the
intellectual property agreement contained in the patent
application. F.sub.3jk 3 evaluation or Contribution to the company
financially associated with the use of agreement the k.sup.th
trademark in area j. This could be agreed between the parties; it
also is inclusive of various types of financial contributions.
F.sub.4jk 4 evaluation or Contribution to the company financially
associated with the k.sup.th agreement copyright in area j. This
could be agreed between the parties; it also is inclusive of
various types of financial contributions. F.sub.5jk 5 evaluation or
Contribution to the company financially of the k.sup.th trade
secret in area agreement j. This could be agreed by the parties.
F.sub.6jk 6 evaluation or Contribution to the company financially
made by the presence of the agreement key person. This could be
agreed by the parties, and often is determined by the potential
future cost avoidance due to the presence and utility of the key
person. Note 1: Additional parameters and all functional
dependences are defined as needed for the situation.
[0106] TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Definitions of Parameters Employed in
Exemplary Applications of the Invention: Parameters Concerning a
Company, Company D, Which Competes with Company A (see Note 1) K i
j k obtained by meaning of parameter K.sub.1jk 1 definition A
patent owned by Co. D exists in area j. It is the k.sup.th patent
in this and search area. The value of this parameter can be 0 or 1
in any given period, or it can be any value between 0 and 1 for a
projected average value at a given time or over a given period.
Clearly, K.sub.1jk is generally a function of time, at least, and
can be specified functionally in terms of the relevant parameters,
such as time, legal entity where valid, etc. K.sub.2jk 2 same A new
patent is likely to be issued to Co. D with specified anticipated
claims in area j. It is the k.sup.th such item. A prediction, 0
.ltoreq. K.sub.2jk .ltoreq. 1. K.sub.3jk 3 same A competing
trademark of Co. D exists in area j. It is the k.sup.th trademark
in this area. K.sub.4jk 4 same A competing copyright of Co. D
exists in area j. It is the k.sup.th copyright in this area.
K.sub.5jk 5 same A trade secret exists and can have a material
effect on Co. A in area j. It is the k.sup.th trade secret in area
j. K.sub.6jk 6 same A specific key person is needed by Co. D for
the person's expertise and abilities, to provide specific utility
in area j, but not for illegal purposes. This is the k.sup.th key
person in this area. L i j k obtained by meaning of parameter
L.sub.1jk 1 evaluation probability that the ownership, title,
current effectiveness (paid up fees, etc.), lack of fraud have
resulted in a validly owned current patent L.sub.2jk 2 evaluation
same as above, but for new patent, which is new in the sense that
it is issued during the period covered by the proposed insurance.
L.sub.3jk 3 evaluation same as above, but applied to trademark
L.sub.4jk 4 evaluation same as above, but applied to copyright
L.sub.5jk 5 evaluation same as above, but applied to legitimacy of
a trade secret, proprietary information, etc. L.sub.6jk 6
evaluation probability of having a productive employment
relationship with a person who is key to business success in area j
in the face of a challenge to that continuance. M i i k obtained by
meaning of parameter M.sub.1jk 1 evaluation probability that the
patent will be found valid (note that this applies to the claims
that are relevant to Co. A's business in area j) M.sub.2jk 2
evaluation same as above M.sub.3jk 3 evaluation probability that
the trademark will be found to be valid M.sub.4jk 4 evaluation
probability that the copyright will be found to be valid M.sub.5jk
5 evaluation probability that a purported trade secret has value
beyond what could be done by a person normally skilled in the art
in area j. M.sub.6jk 6 evaluation probability that the key person
has effectively useful knowledge that is irreplaceable in a
practical way in terms of the business purpose associated with area
j. N i j k obtained by meaning of parameter N.sub.1jk 1 evaluation
or probability of need for its use for a commercial purpose by Co.
A in agreement area j. N.sub.2jk 2 same same as above, but for the
new patent N.sub.3jk 3 same same as above, but for the trademark
N.sub.4jk 4 same same as above, but for the copyright N.sub.5jk 5
same same as above, but for the trade secret N.sub.6jk 6 same same
as above, but for the contribution of the key person Q i j k
obtained by meaning of parameter Q.sub.1jk 1 evaluation or The
probability that the validity of the k.sup.th patent in area j will
be agreement asserted effectively against Co. A.. Q.sub.2jk 2
evaluation or same as above, but applied to the new patent issued
during the period agreement of the insurance Q.sub.3jk 3 evaluation
or same as above, but applied to the k.sup.th trademark in area j.
agreement Q.sub.4jk 4 evaluation or same as above, but applied to
the k.sup.th copyright in area j. agreement Q.sub.5jk 5 evaluation
or probability that the trade secret will be learned by competitor,
Co. D. agreement Q.sub.6jk 6 evaluation or probability that the key
person will be presented with a commercial agreement opportunity to
leave the employ of the company. R i j k obtained by meaning of
parameter R.sub.1jk 1 evaluation or Detriment to the financial
position of Co. A. Typically this could be agreement agreed between
the parties, and, for example, could be the decrease in gross
profits from products theretofore sold monopolistically, license
fees, perceived market loss from advertisments about the existence
of the patent, the cost of developing and using methods to avoid
the invention, the loss of profits due to the loss of freedom to
operate caused by the patent, or any other financially defined
detriment attributed in area j to the k.sup.th patent. R.sub.2jk 2
evaluation or same as above, but asssociated with the intellectual
property agreement contained in the new patent. R.sub.3jk 3
evaluation or Detriment to Co. A financially associated with the
use by Co. D or agreement the discontinuance of use by Co. A of the
k.sup.th trademark in area j. This could be agreed between the
parties; it also is inclusive of various types of financial
contributions. R.sub.4jk 4 evaluation or Detriment to Co. A
financially associated with the use by Co. D or agreement the
discontinuence of use by Co. A of the k.sup.th copyright in area j.
This could be agreed between the parties; it also is inclusive of
various types of financial contributions. R.sub.5jk 5 evaluation or
Detriment to Co. A financially of the k.sup.th trade secret in area
j being agreement known by Co. D. This could be agreed by the
parties. R.sub.6jk 6 evaluation or Detriment to Co. A financially
made by the presence of the key agreement person form Co. A in Co.
D. This could be agreed by the parties. It often is determined by
the potential future cost avoidance due to the presence and utility
of the key person. Note 1: Additional parameters and all functional
dependences are defined as needed for the situation.
PROPHETIC EXAMPLE 3
[0107] This example concerns the case in which Company A, (Co. A),
has a patent with an expiration date eight years from the starting
date of the proposed insurance policy. The insurance policy would
cover only that eight year period. The insurance company, Co. C,
and Co. A agree that the annual value of operating with the patent
is $1.0.times.10.sup.7 per year.
[0108] When Co. A plans to invest in additional manufacturing
capacity in the field in which this patent is believed to give it a
monopoly, it approaches a bank for funds. The bank requires that an
independent assessment of the value of this patent be obtained in
financial terms relative to the agreed value of operating
monopolistically within the patent. The insurance company then
formulates this in the form of an insurance proposal for Co. A.
[0109] The first step is to ascertain the facts, which include the
proposed insurance objective. It is to be a policy that will pay
Co. A 1.0.times.10.sup.7 $ per year during the insured period and
subsequent to demonstration that its intellectual
property-determined ability to practice the invention has been lost
because (1) it has been forced to confront issues of validity,
enforceability and/or ownership in a legal contest and (2) has been
unsuccessful in maintaining rights under the patent even though it
has defended its legal position vigorously.
[0110] The second step is to evaluate the probability that the
patent can be practiced as intended during this period. The third
step is to formulate an insurance policy proposal to cover the
potential loss.
[0111] When the evaluations are done, it is found that the net
intellectual asset value of this patent is 7.6.times.10.sup.6 $ per
year. The probable loss to be assumed by Co. C is computed by Co. C
to be 2.5.times.10.sup.6 $/year on average over that period. Co. C
offers to provide the coverage for the entire period in exchange
for a premium payment of $4.times.10.sup.7.
[0112] The bank pays for the proposal and the evaluation and
analyses on which it is based. It then can use this information in
assessing the loan value, take out the insurance, require that Co.
A take out the insurance in order to qualify for the loan, take
other financial actions amounting to self-insurance based on the
evaluation, or take no further action.
PROPHETIC EXAMPLE 4
[0113] This example considers a case in which the issues are
related to the intellectual property-determined ability of a
company, Co. A, to do business in an area, j, in which it has an
enabling patent (patent 1), trade secret knowledge, and a pending
patent application.
[0114] Patent 1 is agreed to be worth $7.times.10.sup.6 per year to
Co. A in competitive advantage in the general business field. The
exclusive use of the trade secret is agreed to be worth
$1.times.10.sup.6 per year.
[0115] If the pending patent application were to result in the
patent (patent 2) contemplated therein, it would be for an
improvement that, it is agreed, would allow Co. A to reduce its
cost of doing business in the field monopolistically by
$2.times.10.sup.6 per year, and, through a greater market share
generated by consequently lower prices, increase its gross profit
by $4.times.10.sup.6 per year during the five year period covered
by the proposed insurance coverage.
[0116] It also is this case that there are competitors whose
intellectual property positions can impact the valuations of the
intellectual property of Co. A. Specifically, Co. D, a competitor,
will receive a patent (patent 3) sometime in this period, although
that is not known outside of Co. D. If valid and enforceable,
patent 3 could be enforced against Co. A, requiring Co. A to pay
royalties that add a total of $3.times.10.sup.6 per year to its
cost of continuing in this business.
[0117] The insurance policy being considered is to reimburse Co. B,
a prospective purchaser of Co. A, for the losses it would incur
during a five year period due to the change in value of the
intellectual property position of Co. A. The insurer, Co. C, and
the insured, Co. B, agree separately on the method to be used for
handling any and all costs and decisions related to any and all
legal work related to these and other matters associated with the
insurance policy. It further is the case that Co. B will purchase
Co. A at the exact time the proposed insurance policy goes into
effect for a five year period.
[0118] All of the financial values stated and calculated for the
purpose of the example are taken to be in real (constant dollar)
terms and annualized, so there are no effects of the cost of money
or its changes in value to be taken into account. All of the
agreements on facts or evaluations are made between the insured
(Co. B) and the insurer (Co. C).
[0119] The methods of this patent can be applied to this case in
the following exemplary fashion, which is outlined first and then
detailed.
[0120] Step 1: The facts about the issues are ascertained. The
intellectual property and business facts so ascertained for this
example are stated below in the calculation given in steps 2 and 3.
The nature of the risks to be addressed by the insurance policy are
defined by the goal of the policy, as stated above. Specifically,
it is a policy to reimburse Co. B, the purchaser of Co. A, for the
loss it incurs during a five year period due to the change in value
of the intellectual property of Co. A in business area j.
[0121] Step 2: The valuation of the intellectual property position
of Co. A is made and it is related to the risks to be addressed by
the insurance policy. The legal, financial, and other analyses used
to reach each valuation are documented. One method for reaching a
valuation is detailed below as an example of a method that falls
within the general invention.
[0122] Step 3: An insurance policy proposal is made by Co. C to Co.
B in exchange for a fee. The proposal contains all of the legal and
related analysis done to reach the valuations, described in Step
(2) above, and it contains insurance policy coverage and premium
proposals that are binding on Co. C. The pricing of the insurance
proposal is generally intended to recover the costs of formulating
it, but the price is set by Co. C at its discretion or by
negotiated contract with Co. B. Clearly, Co. B then can purchase
the coverage at the proposed premium prices, which are set to cover
risk, costs and profits, or decline to do so after receiving and
paying for the proposal.
Step 2 Details
[0123] The net intellectual asset value of Co. A's position in
business area j can be calculated by application of the exemplary
method described above in Prophetic Example 2. While this is only
an example of a method, it uses parameters defined in Tables 2 and
3 to show which are ascertained as facts and which ones are
obtained by evaluation. The values assigned to these parameters are
combined to show one way to make the invention specific.
[0124] Thus, the net intellectual asset value of Co. A's position
in business area j can be taken to be Z.sub.j=V.sub.j-I.sub.j.
Recall that V.sub.j is the value of the intellectual property of
Co. A in business area j. I.sub.j is the impact on Co. A in this
business area of the intellectual property of the other entities in
the world, which are represented in this case by Co. D.
[0125] Since V j = i .times. k .times. V ijk , ##EQU4## where
V.sub.ijk=A.sub.ijkB.sub.ijkC.sub.ijkD.sub.ijkE.sub.ijkF.sub.ijk,
in this case
V.sub.j=A.sub.1j1B.sub.1j1C.sub.1j1D.sub.1j1E.sub.1j1F.sub.1j1+A.sub.2j1B-
.sub.2j1C.sub.2j1D.sub.2j1E.sub.2j1F.sub.2j1+A.sub.5j1B.sub.5j1C.sub.5j1D.-
sub.5j1E.sub.5j1F.sub.5j1. The first term on the right concerns the
existing patent (so, i=1), the second concerns the currently
provisional patent application (so, i=2), and the third term
concerns the trade secret knowledge (so, i=5).
[0126] Since I j = i .times. k .times. I ijk , ##EQU5## where
I.sub.ijk=K.sub.ijkL.sub.ijkM.sub.ijkN.sub.ijkQ.sub.ijkR.sub.ijk,
in this case
I.sub.j=K.sub.2j1L.sub.2j1M.sub.2j1N.sub.2j1Q.sub.2j1R.sub.2j1.
Note that there is no term of the type
K.sub.5j1L.sub.5j1M.sub.5j1N.sub.5j1Q.sub.5j1R.sub.5j1 in order to
avoid double counting. If it were included, K.sub.5j1=0. The term
on the right concerns the new patent (so, i=2).
[0127] An estimate of the loss due to a change in value of the
intellectual property of Co. A in the business area j can be made
from Y.sub.j. As a change in value used in an equation, Y.sub.j
would be negative. In the current example, the magnitude of Y.sub.j
is: Y j = I j + A 1 .times. j .times. .times. 1 .function. [ ( 1 -
B 1 .times. j .times. .times. 1 ) + ( 1 - C 1 .times. j .times.
.times. 1 ) ] .times. D 1 .times. j .times. .times. 1 .function. (
1 - E 1 .times. j .times. .times. 1 ) .times. F 1 .times. j .times.
.times. 1 + A 2 .times. j .times. .times. 1 .function. [ ( 1 - B 2
.times. j .times. .times. 1 ) + ( 1 - C 2 .times. j .times. .times.
1 ) ] .times. D 2 .times. j .times. .times. 1 .function. ( 1 - E 2
.times. j .times. .times. 1 ) .times. F 2 .times. j .times. .times.
1 + A 5 .times. j .times. .times. 1 .function. [ ( 1 - B 5 .times.
j .times. .times. 1 ) + ( 1 - C 5 .times. j .times. .times. 1 ) ]
.times. D 5 .times. j .times. .times. 1 .function. ( 1 - E 5
.times. j .times. .times. 1 ) .times. F 5 .times. j .times. .times.
1 . ##EQU6## The evaluation of the parameters is carried out either
by definition and agreement, where possible, or by evaluation by a
method consistent with this invention. For the purpose of reducing
this example to sample values, the following parameter values are
used. Those assumed to have been determined by agreement or as a
matter of defined facts are followed by (f), and those obtained by
evaluation are followed by an (e). [0128] A.sub.1j1=1 (f);
B.sub.1j1=1 (e); C.sub.1j1=0.95(f); D.sub.1j1=1 (f);
E.sub.iji=0.95(e); [0129] F.sub.1j1=7.times.10.sup.6(f);
A.sub.2j1=1 (e); B.sub.2j1=1 (e); C.sub.2j1=0.8 (e); D.sub.2j1=1
(f); [0130] E.sub.2j1=0.9 (e); F.sub.2j1=4.times.10.sup.6(f);
A.sub.5j1=1 (f); B.sub.5j1=0.8 (e); C.sup.5j1=1 (e); [0131]
D.sub.5j1=1 (f); E.sub.5j1=0.6 (e); F.sub.5j1=1.times.10.sup.6(f);
K.sub.2j1=0.5 (e); L.sub.2j1=1 (f); [0132] M.sub.2j1=0.8(e);
N.sub.2j1=1 (f); Q.sub.2j1=0.7(e); R.sub.2j1=3.times.10.sup.6 (f),
where F and R are in the units of $/year.
[0133] Based on them:
[0134] (1) The net intellectual asset value of Co. A's position in
business area j on an average annual basis during the five year
period is Z.sub.j=8.8375.times.10.sup.6 $/year.
[0135] (2) The probable loss due to a change in the value of the
intellectual property of Co. A in business area j on an average
annual basis during the five year period is
Y.sub.j=0.335.times.10.sup.6 $/year.
Step 3 Details
[0136] The insurance company, Co. C, prepares an insurance proposal
for Co. B. It contains all of the foregoing analysis and all of the
legal and other opinions and other bases for the evaluations and
definitions. It also contains specific promises to provide
insurance coverage in exchange for specific premium charges. This
proposal is sold to Co. B. In this example, it is assumed that the
purchase of the proposal is made pursuant to a contract, which not
only specifies the work product expected in the proposal and the
price to be paid for it, but that it also establishes
confidentiality, grants access to data and personnel, and
establishes a method whereby agreement could be reached between the
parties on the values of certain parameters and the assumptions
about future litigation.
[0137] The specific insurance proposal in this example would be as
follows. The insurance company offers to insure Co. B for any
losses of the types mentioned during one year in the period for
1.56.times.0.335.times.10.sup.6$=$0.5226.times.10.sup.6. The factor
1.56 is selected arbitrarily for this example to incorporate the
costs and the profits to Co. C in the price. This premium of
0.5226.times.10.sup.6 $/year would cover Co. B's intellectual
property controlled ability to practice patents agreed to be worth
1.times.10.sup.6 $/year, their retention of exclusive use of the
trade secret agreed to be worth 1.times.10.sup.6 $/year, and their
avoidance of royalty payments to Co. D. of 3.times.10.sup.6 $/year
for specified intellectual property predicted to be in patent 3.
Thus, the potential protection is for $15.times.10.sup.6 $/year at
a premium of 0.5226.times.10.sup.6 $/year. This is a simple example
and uses annual averages. Naturally, some of the parameters are
functions of time, and so would be the terms of an actual policy
proposal.
PROPHETIC EXAMPLE 5
[0138] This example considers the case in which the issues are
related to the intellectual property-determined ability of a
company, Co. A, to do business in an area, j, in which it has an
enabling patent (patent 1), trade secret knowledge, and a pending
patent application. The information given in this case is the same
as that of Prophetic Example 4, except that the Directors of Co. A
do not necessarily agree that the probability of patent 1 being
found to be valid is 0.95, as agreed by Co. B and Co. C for the
purpose of preparing the insurance policy proposal to cover the
risks as desired by Co. B.
[0139] The Directors of Co. A are worried that that might result in
too low a sales price for Co. A and that there might be a
successful suit by a stockholder against them to recover lost value
in the sale of Co. A. Furthermore, they want the value of patent 1
to be evaluated over the remainder of its lifetime, which extends
to seven years beyond the date of the proposed sale. So, for this
policy, the Directors of Co. A ask that the probability of patent 1
being found to be valid, if tested in a trial to judgment, be
evaluated as part of the preparation of the insurance policy.
[0140] Application of the methods of this patent, employing one
acceptable calculation based on evaluations, produces the following
result.
[0141] The value of patent 1 over its remaining seven years, with
the evaluated probability of validity being found to be 0.99, is
$1.862.times.10.sup.6 greater than it would be worth if that
probability were agreed to be equal to 0.95. This leads to an
insurance proposal to the Directors of Co. A. The proposal is for
coverage in the amount of $1.862.times.10.sup.6 in the event of a
successful suit by the stockholders of Co. A. The premium proposed
is set by Co. C at $1.times.10.sup.6 with the condition that the
Directors of Co. A make a recorded and good faith effort to
negotiate a higher sales price on the grounds the fair value of
patent 1 is $1.862.times.10.sup.6 higher than asserted by Co. B.
The Directors of Co. A pay for and receive the proposal and
supporting information. Other terms of the insurance proposal
include a time limit of two years and an agreement on the manner of
conducting legal efforts and decisions.
[0142] The Directors of Co. A can take the coverage or decline it
in favor only of using it in negotiations to raise the selling
price of Co. A.
PROPHETIC EXAMPLE 6
[0143] This example considers the case in which the issues are
related to the intellectual property-determined ability of a
company, Co. A, to do business in an area, j, in which it has an
enabling patent (patent 1), trade secret knowledge, and a filed
provisional patent application. The information given in this case
is the same as that of Prophetic Example 4, except that the bankers
for Co. B seek an independent evaluation of the trade secret
position of Co. A. They ask for an insurance proposal that would
cover the loss to the operations being purchased when Co. B
purchases Co. A that are associated with the loss of exclusive use
of the trade secret.
[0144] The insurance company agrees to prepare a proposal for
insurance that would cover the portion of the 1.times.10.sup.6
$/year value of the exclusive use of the trade secret that is lost
due to its discovery and successful use by competitors during a
period of five years.
[0145] In the application of the methods of this patent, the facts
are ascertained first. Then a valuation is placed on the trade
secret, the probability that it exists, is rightfully owned, will
stay secret, and has a value beyond what is widely known to people
in the field during the proposed insurance period. For the sake of
the example, the net intellectual asset value in the first year is
evaluated to be $0.81.times.10.sup.6, using a method under this
patent. For the second year, it is evaluated to be
$0.64.times.10.sup.6, because the evaluators' opinion is that the
intellectual developments in the field will have a chance of making
this trade secret become part of the ordinary knowledge in the
field and because there is a greater chance for there to be a
market impact on Co. A by the second year.
[0146] When the insurance policy is presented to the bank, it is
for a policy to cover market losses up to $1.times.10.sup.6 for the
first year in return for a premium of $0.2.times.10.sup.6. For the
second year, the premium would be $0.4.times.10.sup.6. For the
third year, the premium would be $0.9.times.10.sup.6, and there
would be no coverage offered at less than the possible losses for
the fourth and fifth years.
[0147] The bank requesting the insurance proposal would pay for and
receive the proposal, which would contain the analyses and
evaluations that went into its formulation. Then, they can purchase
the insurance or not. Whether or not they purchase it, they have
received an evaluation of the intellectual property in a form that
can be used with great assurance because it comprises not only the
careful legal work and experience of experts, it also has a binding
proposal from the evaluators to share the risk.
PROPHETIC EXAMPLE 7
[0148] Company A is a technology-based company with a portfolio of
10 patents, which it claims provides it with the potential to
establish a strong market position in the treatment of radioactive
medical and other commercial waste products. It approaches a
venture capital firm, Co. B, with the need for $20,000,000 in
additional capital. Co. A needs some of the money to develop the
inventions up to the stage of marketing, and some of it to continue
operations until customers have paid for their products and
services.
[0149] The venture capital firm begins to put together a fund for
this purpose. It needs to know the value of the patent position of
Co. A. It particularly needs to know if Co. A can control the use
of key aspects of the intellectual properties, because some of them
were developed under U.S. Government research contracts, and some
were codeveloped with another company, Co. D. It also is concerned
about the impact of governmental regulations on Co. A's ability to
do business in a timely manner before the proposed funds are used
up. These concerns include questions related to interstate
transportation of the waste products, export laws related to the
first foreign installation in Japan, and local ordinances at the
proposed plant sites in the United States.
[0150] The venture capital firm, Co. B, contracts with the
insurance company, Co. C, for a proposal for insurance that would
cover losses due to future changes in value of the intellectual
properties of Co. A.
[0151] The insurance company ascertains the facts, including
identifying the pieces of intellectual property, the nature of the
insurance policy requested, and relevant business facts. Then, it
carries out the evaluation process. In this case special attention
is paid to making certain that the current evaluation reflects
fully the current expectations about the future values of the
properties. This is done because the "change in value" on which the
insurance will be based is the difference between the actual values
the properties have in the future and the future value they are
assigned in the current evaluation, i.e. their "expected" future
value.
[0152] Insurance Company C prepares an insurance proposal to cover
the losses due to any change in value of the intellectual property
of Company A associated with the intellectual property-determined
ability to do business during the insured period. This would cover
losses if the government or the codeveloping company asserted
intellectual property rights, for example, but it would not cover
losses due to bans on interstate transportation of radioactive
waste. Similarly, it could cover losses due to its inability to use
its patent rights in Japan, but it would not include its losses due
to newly imposed export or import restrictions.
[0153] The insurance proposal includes all of the legal work and
analyses of Co. A used in preparing the proposal. Co. C delivers
the insurance proposal to Co. B in exchange for a fee. Co. B then
can purchase the insurance or use the information and analyses for
its own purposes.
PROPHETIC EXAMPLE 8
[0154] Company A is a technology-based company with a portfolio of
patents and trade secrets. Its product line has grown rapidly in a
very competitive environment. The owners of Co. A, who are its
technological originators and business principals, decide to put
the company up for sale. Through a mergers and acquisitions firm,
they offer to sell it to the owners of Co. B, which is a larger
firm that might benefit from incorporating Co. A's products into
their product line.
[0155] The owners of Co. A say that their reasons for selling Co. A
have to do with their desire to go their separate ways, return to
laboratory research, recover their initial investment, and attend
to their families' needs. The owners of Co. B wonder whether there
are any other reasons for the sale. In particular, they wonder
whether the owners of Co. A have "reason to believe" that the
future value of Co. A will be less than projected, because of a
change in the value of its intellectual property.
[0156] This "reasons to believe" could be based on
company-sponsored studies or on the knowledge obtained by the
owners during the course of their business. In either event, it
could constitute a trade secret. Knowing the information could
influence business decisions in important ways. Not knowing the
information could cause Co. B to pay too high a price for Co.
A.
[0157] In order to deal with this issue and the risk it entails,
Co. B contracts with Co. C, the insurance company, to provide an
insurance proposal. It would protect Co. B against losses due to
changes in value of the currently identified intellectual property
that were predictable if the trade secret information had been
revealed to Co. B before the purchase.
[0158] The insurance company first ascertains all of the facts,
including the identifiable intellectual property of Co. A, the type
of insurance policy to be proposed, the relevant business facts,
and the relevant publicly known intellectual property of the
identified competitor. Then the insurance company carries out the
evaluation steps of the method. It orders a complete legal and
related analysis of the intellectual property. In this case,
special attention is paid to asking questions about trade secrets,
including market projections, knowledge about competitors' research
and development, and competitors' knowledge of Co. A's intellectual
property, for example. The answers to these questions are put on
the legal record.
[0159] One use of this information is in evaluating the likelihood
that the intellectual property would be employed by Co. A during
the insurance period. If the trade secret were that a new
competitive product was going to make Co. A's product obsolete and
that Co. A could not develop another product quickly enough to stay
competitive, the future change in the value of the intellectual
property would appear in the evaluation at this point. It also
could appear in the evaluation of the intellectual property of
competitors if there were a way for the competitor's intellectual
property to be evaluated by the insurance company.
[0160] Then, the insurance company prepares an insurance policy for
Co. B. For this example it will be assumed that the result of the
evaluation process is that the value of the intellectual property
will not change in the first year but that it has an actuarially
assessed probability of declining in value over the last two years
of the proposed insurance period. The insurance company prepares an
insurance proposal containing these intellectual property
evaluations and binding insurance proposals. It delivers the
proposal in exchange for a fee for the work. Co. B decides whether
to purchase the insurance or use the information otherwise.
[0161] It is to be understood that other embodiments of the
invention which are covered by the language of the claims also
constitute part of this invention. For example, the invention may
be directed to technology covered by U.S. and/or foreign patents
and patent applications, provisional patent applications, trade
secrets, trade dress rights, trademarks, service marks, and
copyrights. Furthermore, a party may wish to obtain insurance
coverage for the investment which is undertaken to obtain a
commercial product after an invention is first conceived.
Additionally, the insurance coverage may extend to cover cases in
which an employee leaves a company, stealing valuable trade secrets
and taking them to another company. In these scenarios, an
insurance policy could be issued which could be renewed on an
annual basis.
* * * * *