20 Jun, 2019
Huawei may demand more royalties from US firms that rely on its patented tech
Huawei may demand more royalties from U.S. firms for technology they’re using that’s been patented by the Chinese telecom giant, experts say, as the beleaguered firm looks to fight back against continued pressure from Washington. It would mark a big shift in strategy for Huawei, which typically is not seen as especially litigious in terms of intellectual property rights (IPR), even though it holds some crucial patents that underpin the world of telecommunication. Last week, Reuters reported that Huawei had asked Verizon to pay $1 billion in royalties for more than 230 of Huawei’s patents. Read more
14 June, 2019
Explainer: Why is Huawei seeking $1 billion patent deal with Verizon?
Huawei is demanding Verizon Communications Inc pay $1 billion to license the rights to patented technology, signaling a potential shift in the embattled Chinese company’s strategy for the U.S. market. A Huawei executive made the demand in a February letter, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the letter on Wednesday. The fee would cover licensing of more than 230 patents. Verizon spokesman Rich Young declined to comment “regarding this specific issue because it’s a potential legal matter.” Read more
15 Jun, 2018
Dropbox’s Patent Filings Could Hold Clues to Mystery Stock Surge
On Thursday, June 14th, Dropbox’s stock soared 14% and were jumping another 9.5% to a new record high of $39.50 on Friday. The sudden surge has led to a frenzy of M&A chatter around the enterprise software company, which went public on March 23 at $21 per share. Only time will tell what’s in store for Dropbox, but some signals may be found in a spate of patent filings from the company this year. A study from the intellectual property analytics firm Relecura notes that Dropbox holds a range of key intellectual properties, including patents to share files through a link and other ways that files interact with cloud applications. Read more
22 Feb, 2018
An exclusive look at Uber’s patent position as purchases ramp up and Waymo dispute settles
At one point the world’s most valuable start-up, Uber has made a concerted drive – especially in the last two years – to expand its patent portfolio as it eyes a 2019 target for going public. Against this backdrop, as well as news of its recent settlement with Waymo, IAM provides an exclusive analysis of the ride-sharing company’s patent position, its brand and the most salient IP-related storylines in recent years. The Relecura team has contributed to the article by providing valuable insights on Uber’s patent portfolio. Read more
Nov/Dec, 2017
Is the Internet of Automobiles the next big thing?
The Automotive sector has been an early adopter and beneficiary of the introduction of digital technologies into a near-exclusive mechanical preserve. The Relecura team has done a study on the various digital technologies and related patents powering the “Internet of Automobiles”. The findings of the study have been detailed in an article for the IAM magazine, which appeared in IAM Issue 86, published by the Globe Business Media Group – IP Division. Read more [PDF]
24 July, 2017
BofA, JPMChase & Morgan Stanley are top banks for patent loans
Relecura, Inc., a California patent research and analysis company, reports that Bank of American had 60,093 transactions for a total market share of 16.87%. JP Morgan Chase had 45,304 transactions for a 12.72% market share. Morgan Stanley, which was number 11 on the 2015 list, came in at third in 2017 with 24,244 loans and 6.80% of all transactions. Read more
12 May, 2017
Tech giants step up their IoT patenting with Samsung and Qualcomm at the front of the pack
Samsung and Qualcomm are the leaders of the pack when it comes to patents related to the Internet of Things (IoT), according to new research from Relecura – with the Korean company ramping up its filing at an astonishing rate. Read more
10 Jan, 2017
Relecura Adds Innovative Knowledge Management Features to Its Intellectual Property Intelligence Platform
Relecura’s new modules namely Taxonomy Builder, Portfolio Manager and Automated Reports enable patent managers, subject matter experts, business executives, investors, inventors, and others to conduct a structured drill-down view of patent portfolios, and to capture and reuse that knowledge. Read more
17 Jun, 2016
Relecura’s New Bucketing Module Provides Flexibility without Sacrificing Control
While essential to a well researched PLR (patent landscape report) the task of creating buckets for sub-categories can often be very time consuming, and will often represent a significant percentage of the time spent on any particular project. In a new release Relecura has taken this task head on with new functionality to address the challenges of bucketing. Read more
10 May, 2016
Big Banks Stake Fintech Claims With Patent Application Surge
Big banks and credit card companies, looking to protect their investments in innovation, have accelerated efforts to patent methods linked to key technologies. Since 2013 large financial institutions have applied for at least 2,679 patents in hot areas such as blockchain, analytics and cybersecurity, a surge of 83% from the prior three years. Read more
2 Dec, 2015
Overview of FinTech Patents: Infographic by Relecura
The financial technology (FinTech) sector is undergoing a digital revolution. Several startups and newer companies are challenging the incumbents, using digital platforms to deliver products and services more efficiently and employing better business models. We came across a very interesting infographic created by Relecura which gives an overview of the FinTech patents. Read more
1 Dec, 2015
Insurance falling behind on fintech
A report by patent analysis, IP intelligence, portfolio management and technology transfer specialist Relecura, showed that insurance was behind payments, banks, wealth management and capital markets when it came to fintech patents filed. Read more
11 Nov, 2015
Fintech revolution: Visa and Bank of America file the most fintech patents
There’s a fintech revolution going on – but who’s at the forefront of it? New patent figures reveal that Visa has filed by far the most fintech patents, soaring 20 per cent ahead of its nearest rival, Bank of America. Data from analytics firm Relecura shows which companies hold the most patents, providing an overview of the top players in the rapidly-growing sector. Read more
28 Oct, 2015
Industry report – FinTech patents: where finance meets technology
There is substantial interest in the financial technology (‘FinTech’) sector, at a time when the financial services sector is generally experiencing considerable churn. Several start-ups and newer companies are challenging the incumbents, using digital platforms to deliver products and services more efficiently and employing better business models. Read more
29 Sep, 2015
Study reveals the most active borrowers and lenders in US patent-backed financing
Recent research from IP analytics firm Relecura provides a fascinating analysis of trends in patent-backed financings over the past few years. In terms of lenders, US banks dominate; while the list of top loanees is largely comprised of US operating companies. Read more
7 Jul, 2015
Relecura Updates – Now Faster, More Intuitive and Collaborative
The last few months have been extremely busy for the folks at Relecura. They have used this time to build out their platform, and add new features. Their emphasis has been twofold: Enhancing the user experience in order to make it simpler to carry out various workflow tasks, and Enhancing collaboration to facilitate a rich sharing of data, and analytics among team members, and collaborators. Read more
1 Jun, 2015
Customized Analytics Tools for the IP and Business Intelligence Community
Relecura stands out because of its flexibility to adapt to different use cases and its ability to provide quick insights into complex problems faced by the IP and business intelligence community.’ – George Koomullil, Founder & CEO speaking to CEOCFO Magazine. Read more
May/June 2015
In the spotlight: Relecura Inc – Simplifying the patent landscape
In an ever-changing patent landscape, IP analytics firm Relecura Inc. pushes on with creating innovative features and customised tools to assist inventors, IP professionals and business leaders to stay on course. WIPR spoke to George Koomullil, Founder & CEO, about the company. Read more
17 Apr, 2015
Europe and Asia controlled LED lighting landscape looks like fertile ground for patent licensing and litigation
Earlier this week, IAM reported on Philips’ sale of the majority of its LED lighting unit Lumileds to a Chinese-led investment consortium. The deal – which is expected to complete during the third quarter of this year, subject to conditions and regulatory approval – will create one of the most formidable players in LED lighting. The technologies concerned have a range of potential applications across diverse industries; and, as such, many of the patents protecting them will likely prove to be of significant strategic value. A recent study from IP research firm Relecura gives us some idea of the industry landscape, in patent terms, that the newly spun-out Lumileds will find itself in. Read more
2 Feb, 2015
IP Software company Relecura introduces new features to enable better sharing
Patent search and patent analysis software company Relecura have launched two new features for the intellectual property community – the Public Portfolio and Public Document. The new tools will allow users to share a subset of Relecura analytics along with patent portfolios and individual patent documents. In an industry first, collaborators and external third parties who don’t have a Relecura license can access interactive analytics and visuals associated with patent portfolio. Read more
29 Jan, 2015
Relecura Announces New Features to IP Platform that Enable Enhanced Sharing, Collaboration and Reporting Across the Enterprise
Relecura, a leading intellectual property (IP) analysis and intelligence platform, today announced the release of two new features – Public Portfolio and Public Document – rich collaboration tools that allow users to share a subset of Relecura analytics along with patent portfolios and individual patent documents. Read more
15 Dec, 2014
Relecura Studies University Life Science Patent Transactions
Relecura was asked by Nature, to examine patent information on life sciences in 2013, and specifically focus on life science patent transactions between Universities and other corporate entities. The results are featured here on Nature Biotech’s ‘Trade Secrets’ blog. Read more
13 Sep, 2014
Relecura Presents Key Findings on Tesla Motors’ Patent Portfolio
INDUS TechInnovations today released an IP intelligence report that does a deep-dive analysis into the patent portfolio of Tesla Motors using its flagship product Relecura. The report assesses the significance of Tesla’s portfolio within the overall electric vehicle intellectual property landscape. Various facets of Tesla’s portfolio are studied and compared to the other major players in the electric vehicle industry in the report. Read more
18 Aug, 2014
Two Smart Grid Takeover Targets – Forget inventing new technology.
When large companies desperately need to innovate to stay alive, they’re buying new tech instead! This mentality is on full display in one corner of the market right now. We’ve seen over $30-billion worth of smart grid-related mergers and acquisitions in the last two years, according to Greentech Media.Now, if you feel like you missed the boat on these opportunities, don’t worry! The buying spree isn’t ending anytime soon. Plus, a straightforward metric exists to pinpoint the companies most likely to be acquired next. The latest reading puts two firms squarely in the takeover crosshairs. Read more
8 Aug, 2014
Look out for more IP deal-making activity in the smart-grid sector as big guns wade in
A high volume of M&A coupled with a major growth in patent filings in the smart-grid sector suggests that it has the potential to be a major area of IP litigation and transactional activity in the near future, according to analysis from Greentech Media.Like a traditional grid, a ‘smart grid’ is a network for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers. What makes it ‘smart’ is the incorporation of information and communications technology to gather data from the grid and act upon it, allowing for the whole infrastructure to be more efficient and sustainable. Read more
6 Aug, 2014
AISTEMOS IP Analytics Solution Generates Unprecedented Interest
The business of patents, the creation of a patent marketplace, and the development of patents as an asset class have been frequent themes discussed previously on this blog, and on my Twitter feed. There have also been several posts on how to discuss intellectual property, especially patents with senior management, and how to explain the importance of IP assets in terms that officials with a financial background would relate to, and understand. Developing mechanisms for engaging management in patent related discussions is important … Read more
10 Jan, 2017
Who’s Got the Most Smart Grid Patents?
The smart grid industry has seen its fair share of mergers and acquisitions – more than $30 billion of them over the past two years, to be exact. Much of this activity is driven by the desire for new technology, whether it’s in core areas like transmission gear, distribution automation and smart meters, communications, sensors and software, or more grid edge applications like demand response, plug-in vehicle charging and distributed solar PV. Read more
28 Jul, 2014
Patents in the Biopesticide industry revealed
Although synthetic chemical fertilizers occupy a large share of pesticide market, biopesticides are gradually gaining significance. We have been looking at the patent landscape as well as the trends and patterns emerging in the Biopesticide industry. We studied the patent filings in this technology area to understand the investments and patenting efforts being made. The infographic below outlines some interesting trends such as the pace of progress over the last decade, the geographical distribution of patents, patent transactions between different organisations and top patent asset holders. Read more
24 Jul, 2014
Relecura is delivering intelligence for innovation with its analytics platform
If one thinks about the innovation ecosystem and the related economy in its entirety, it is vast. This ecosystem generates new ideas for novel products and services to meet the evolving needs of customers. It also disseminates these ideas and subsequently converts them to actual products. Relecura – developed by INDUS TechInnovations – offers an analytics platform, delivering intelligence to technology developers, inventors, Intellectual Property (IP) professionals and corporate leaders. Read more
9 May, 2014
How innovative are we? Revealing the truth about India
Startups have emerged as the torch bearers for innovation, and true to our perception, many of them have changed things in a positive way. However, this is not to say that big players are no longer important or have stopped innovating. So, are there any indicators that can tell us the state of innovation in our country? I believe, patents filed in a country are a direct measure of the state of innovation. Let’s take a look at how India has fared in this aspect over the last few years. Read more
15 Apr, 2014
Virtual Reality Controller Patent Landscape Analysis
There is a lot of buzz in the gaming industry over virtual reality with many major companies gearing up to release their own virtual reality headsets. Facebook recently took a huge step into the market with its acquisition of Oculus VR Inc., creators of the highly anticipated Oculus Rift virtual reality head-mounted display. With so much investment by the major companies, virtual reality will likely be the next big thing in gaming. Others have already investigated the virtual reality patent landscape. Read more
26 Mar, 2014
Who Owns All the Smart Grid Patents?
A recent study by patent analytics firm Relecura on smart grid patent holders seeks to answer this question. It turns out the top five are ABB, GE, Panasonic, Siemens, and Toshiba. The study breaks out the results by six sub-technology categories (communications, software, smart meters, sensors, substation automation, and distribution automation) and lists the top large entities and SMEs in each subcategory: Read more
15 Apr, 2014
Who Owns All the Smart Grid Patents? New Study Reveals Answer
Ever wonder who owns all the smart grid patents? With all of the acquisitions in smart grid (see, e.g., here and here), it seems a lot of folks have been considering the question. A recent study by patent analytics firm Relecura on smart grid patent holders seeks to answer this question. It turns out the top five are ABB, GE, Panasonic, Siemens, and Toshiba. The study breaks out the results by six sub-technology categories (communications, software, smart meters, sensors… Read more
26 Mar, 2014
Revealed: University patent transaction trends 2013
Universities play a crucial role in advancing technologies through their research activities. Consequently, the process of technology transfer and commercialisation of IP by universities has gained significance. To gain insights into the patterns and trends, we studied the university transactions recorded by the USPTO during 2013.In this infographic, we have outlined some interesting trends such as top transacted technologies, university rankings, and filing trends over… Read more
23 Jan, 2014
A virtual reality patent landscape analysis
With the pending release of the consumer version of the Oculus Rift and growing excitement about Valve’s VR platform, the virtual reality industry is set to come into its own. With the development of viable virtual reality platforms, VR is poised to become big business. A critical part of any tech industry is intellectual property. Any companies that want to be serious players in the VR space will have to have a handle on the VR IP landscape. Towards this end I will be undertaking a series of posts aimed to provide information about virtual reality IP issues. Read more
21 Jan, 2014
Revealed: University patent transaction trends 2013
Universities play a crucial role in advancing technologies through their research activities. Consequently, the process of technology transfer and commercialisation of IP by universities has gained significance. To gain insights into the patterns and trends, we studied the university transactions recorded by the USPTO during 2013.In this infographic, we have outlined some interesting trends such as top transacted technologies, university rankings, and filing trends over… Read more
10 Jan, 2014
To Patent Or Not To Patent!
Patenting is an expensive and time consuming affair. Should this be a priority for startups? Read on to find out how different startups are using the power of Intellectual Property to march on side-by-side with big players. Intellectual property is a rather contradictory thing for a startup. Let me tell you a story – the story of Ditto. Kate Endress had a fantastic proposition. A website that allows you to virtually try on glasses and eventually you can buy the one you like. How it works is rather simple. Read more
21 Jan, 2014
Monday miscellany
The company, a startup based in Bangalore as well as San Francisco, says it’s the first to introduce a comprehensive analytics app for patent data. Rubal adds: “You can download the app for free at m.relecura.com”. Do get in touch with him if you want further information. Read more
21 Nov, 2013
Of Google and scholarly search
Google is a verb. That’s old news, but that’s the problem too, at least if you are a researcher, or if you are looking for material for a college project. Google throws up millions of results and what you want may be in the 76th page, and it is doubtful if you will even cross the first ten pages. The receiving end of this is scientists and researchers. A researcher says, “Forget about ten pages. How often we go to the second page? Almost never. What will we do? Read more
28 Jun, 2013
Relecura – Leveraging the Relationships Between Concepts Associated with Patent Documents
Everyone has heard that patent assignees are their own lexicographers. One of the challenges of patent searching and analysis is the discovery of keywords that are used by applicants to describe their inventions, for comprehensive searching. For many years organizations have worked on methods for standardizing keywords in patents, into concepts that could be used to enhance retrieval. In this post, a relatively new system, called Relecura, from INDUS TechInnovations, that has addressed this issue, will be profiled. Read more
3 Nov, 2012
Of Google and scholarly search
Google is a verb. That’s old news, but that’s the problem too, at least if you are a researcher, or if you are looking for material for a college project. Google throws up millions of results and what you want may be in the 76th page, and it is doubtful if you will even cross the first ten pages. The receiving end of this is scientists and researchers. A researcher says, “Forget about ten pages. How often we go to the second page? Almost never. What will we do? Read more