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Today’s leading companies find they can make more profit with fewer patents by securing only the essential protections they need to exploit their innovations. They fill out the gaps in their intellectual property (IP) portfolios by negotiating licences for other key technologies.
Most businesses, though, are flying blind with unfocused research and development (R&D) programmes that can erode returns on investments, and overlooked patents that can lead to lost revenues. Worse, firms that lack a precise understanding of their IP portfolio can end up fighting off claims that a technology for a key product belongs to someone else. Indeed, such battles have multiplied with “patent trolls"—companies that exist solely to generate licensing fees from patents they buy. For a painful reminder, recall last year’s $612 million settlement won by tiny Virginia-based NTP Inc. in an infringement suit against Research In Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry wireless device.
For technology firms, a highly disciplined patent strategy is, therefore, essential. Leaders such as IBM are developing patent disciplines that share three characteristics.
First, they focus on the markets that matter most. They have a clear sense of the “freedom of action"— the ability to commercialize an innovation as they see fit. And, they know precisely where they need exclusive rights and where a shared licence will do. Qualcomm, for instance, has used patents and licensing to build its business around the CDMA (code-division multiple access) wireless market. It licences patents to more than 130 cellphone makers and other chip companies.
Second, leaders develop a holistic view. They can articulate how they will derive value from each patent— licensing revenues, cross-licensing “bargaining chips", exclusive exploitation in the marketplace—and they ruthlessly prune patents that cannot generate an attractive overall return. IBM earns more than $1 billion a year in licensing revenues. It fiercely defends its IP in key markets, as Amazon.com learned as the target of two suits alleging infringement of IBM patents said to cover parts of Amazon’s product recommendation system. IBM also makes hundreds of its patents available to others gratis. It’s a strategic move to disseminate the firm’s software standards in key areas such as electronic commerce and Internet communications. IBM aims to create an ecosystem around its offerings—an effective strategy where formal standards are still coalescing.
Third, the best players organize effectively. They hire top-tier talent to lead their IP efforts. GE went so far as to hire Todd Dickinson, head of the US Patent Office. They assign clear roles and accountabilities for decisions about strategy, R&D and IP. They ensure that the groups focused on these activities have regular input into the decisions made by the others. And, they make sure IP managers are part of teams working on product development, competitive intelligence, new market entry, offshoring partnerships and other high-profile strategic issues.
Patent strategy is thus tightly linked to business strategy, guiding investment and managerial attention. At the product level, the aim is to strengthen competitiveness by mapping out the patent landscape in a given market and determining how it can be exploited—and by obtaining freedom of action for key products through licensing or acquisition of intellectual property. Weighing a particular invention, the patent strategy drives the evaluation process. How much is the invention worth? How many patents will it take and how should the scope of protection be determined?
These questions are increasingly relevant for Indian firms in sectors such as IT and pharmaceuticals, as they move up the value chain and invest more in research to find ways of creating sustained differentiation.
A patent strategy is key for focusing pharma investment on innovation that can be protected, and justifies the risks and the returns. Global and Indian pharma firms are looking for greater clarity in patent laws to ensure they undertake research that not only improves patient outcomes but also makes business sense. Although India has signed the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, which protects drug patents globally, its patent laws exclude protection for drugs which are derivatives of known substances or provide only “incremental innovation" benefits. More lucid laws and better enforcement will help firms trying to craft effective patent strategies.
A thoughtful and comprehensive patent strategy can literally change a company’s fortunes. Consider the classic case of the Japanese electronics manufacturer, Canon, which faced enormous odds when it entered the copier business in the late 1960s. Recognizing that Xerox and others dominated the business with powerful patents, Canon set about articulating a clear patent strategy based on developing new technologies as well as acquiring rights to compete against the incumbents. Canon analyzed, for example, where Xerox and others were weakest from a patent standpoint and focused its investment to capitalize on that. It not only challenged Xerox but found uses for its IP in other areas, such as printers. Canon recognized that strategic necessity is the true mother of invention.
Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Extreme weather conditions have caused wheat production in war-torn Syria to drop to a 29-year low, World Food Programme officials said Tuesday.
Spokesman Hervé Verhoosel told reporters during a briefing in Geneva that wheat production for the year was 1.2 million tons, about two-thirds of the amount produced in 2017. He said the food shortage was due to extended drought during the cropping season followed by heavy rain.
"Farmers had reported it as the worst agricultural season in living memory in al-Hasakeh, the north-eastern region that typically provides almost half the country's wheat," Verhoosel said.
He cited figures produced in a report by the WFP and Food and Agriculture Organization, both U.N. agencies.
Because of the drop in wheat production Syrians will have less to eat and will have to pay more for the wheat they are able to obtain.
U.N. officials said food aid must continue to Syria, which is embroiled in a seven-year civil war, despite increased security and a drop in the number of food insecure people there. About 44 percent of households have reduced the number of meals they eat each day and more than 35 percent restricted how much adults eat in favor of feeding children.
"Despite overall improvements in access for food, about one-quarter of the households continued to rely on poor-quality and -quantity diets," Verhoosel said.
About 963,600 internally displaced people returned to their homes in 2018, an increase of 58 percent over 2017. Another 23,400 refugees returned to Syria from other countries. Despite the returns, the United Nations said population displacement is the primary driver of food insecurity.
"There were still 13.1 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 6.1 million of whom were food-insecure internally displaced persons. It was vital to maintain a lifeline of food assistance for vulnerable families in Syria, where unemployment was stood at 60 percent," Verhoosel said.
He said the WFP was shifting priorities from food distribution to longer-term strategies for returnees.
Bank of Pontiac has opened a branch on your iPhone! Our mobile banking solution allows you to conveniently manage your money, anytime and anywhere. The Bank of Pontiac Mobile Banking App is free, secure and easy to use! Simply use your current NetTeller log in information to start banking today.Features:Check account balancesView account history with check imagesTransfer funds Pay billsFind branch & ATM information using the GPS system provided by your iPhone.*Must be an Online Banking Customer. Although Mobile Banking is provided by Bank of Pontiac free of charge, you may be charged access rates depending on your mobile carrier.Online customers must first set up transfer and bill pay accounts prior to using these features.***This is limited to locating our banking locations and ATMs. Please refer to your carrier for any fees that may apply.
Headlines out of El Salvador focus on the violence that afflicts the Central American country, where earthquakes are a common occurrence.
Despite these hardships, the region’s tiniest nation proves an ideal destination for those who seek unspoiled natural beauty without the tourism clichés.
Cozy and compact, with most sights just an hour or two from each other by bus, El Salvador is a place where you can inhale the aroma of coffee plantations and wander through archaeological ruins in the same day.
Be warned: Hardly anyone speaks English.
Don’t expect slick brochures, Western-style breakfasts, or functional Web sites. A guided tour (elsalvadorfresh.com, elsalvador.travel) is one surefire way to steer clear of bad neighborhoods and visit places without much hassle.
It doesn’t take long to see why.
Even after a five-hour flight from New York on Avianca Airlines, there’s still a bus ride to the capital city of San Salvador.
The driver stops for coconut water along the side of the road; a teenager uses a machete to lop the top off of a fresh coconut. Children come by with trinkets and puppies play at your feet.
Most of the adventurers’ attractions of choice lie beyond San Salvador itself, but the Iglesia El Rosario is worth a look.
The drab concrete dome, built in 1971, seems almost abandoned.
Inside, the church is a visual wonder, with soaring panels of stained glass that throw color everywhere.
Base yourself at the Holiday Inn San Salvador (from $108), a surprisingly sleek and stylish property close to shopping and local restaurants.
About an hour southeast of San Salvador is Costa del Sol, a retreat for well-heeled Salvadorans that’s lined with pastel-colored weekend houses. At the Jaltepeque Estuary, a low-slung blue boat takes visitors through mangrove-rimmed canals that open onto wider waterways with restaurants suspended on stilts. A beach club called Ola serves up food and drink that fit the mood — grilled fish, plantains and local beer.
Due north is the colonial town of Suchitoto, the country’s cultural hotbed. An indigo dyeing workshop, Arte Añil (Bo Sta Lucía 4 Cl Ote No. 7) lets you make your own bags, a contemporary twist on the trade that once sustained the area. A stone-clad hotel, Los Almendros de San Lorenzo (from $93), offers dinner in a dreamy, antique-filled setting. Another lodging option, La Posada de Suchitlán (from $88.50), is as scenic as it is central; from its hilltop location, guests awake to mist over the green valley that rises out of pale-blue Lake Suchitlán.
Look through that mist and you’ll find, in this part of the world, they don’t skimp on archaeology or food.
Look for the beloved street food, pupusas, at the aptly named Pupuseria Julita in a pretty town nearby called Nahuizalco. Stuffed with tangy cheese and refried beans, and topped with pickled cabbage, the grilled corn tortilla treat is a delicious bargain at just 90 cents.
It’s a half-hour ride to the mountainous coffee-growing region of Apaneca, home to the Hotel Santa Leticia (from $60). Known as a finca, or rural, country-style resort, it has handsome rooms, a pool, and enormous hydrangeas. For dinner, head to Tayua, a surprisingly hip restaurant that serves pizza with herbs grown in its backyard. Return to sleep amid cawing birds and barking cogs before sipping fragrant, locally grown coffee for breakfast.
But enough lounging — it’s time for some action.
The next stop in the countryside is Metapán, near the border with Guatemala. A four-wheeler is a must for the hair-raising journey to Reserva Ecológica El Limo, a 35-acre nature sanctuary. Up and down bumpy roads, past waterfalls and precipices lie cozy cabins in the woods — and a zip line. Every meal (including fresh pupusas) is cooked over an open fire.
Last stop: the ragtag surfing town of El Tunco, where a dirt road packed with T-shirt, jewelry and snack shops leads to clear water. The rough shore, strewn with rocks and giant pieces of driftwood, sees only a handful of foreigners.
Some peg El Salvador as an untouched Costa Rica, but that transformation will take a while.
The best sights fly under the international radar — and that’s a good thing.
You would think that V for Vendetta, a movie jam-packed with post-9/11 themes, deserved a serious response. Instead, some of the most prominent media outlets have chosen to insult anyone who might believe the film worthy of debate.
The New York Times' review opened with the line: "Thumb-suckers of the world unite." It concluded by wondering how anyone over the age of fourteen could find the movie subversive. David Denby in the New Yorker speculated that the movie would mainly appeal to "aging kids."
This infantilizing line of attack is sadly nothing new.
The New York Times‘ review opened with the line: "Thumb-suckers of the world unite." It concluded by wondering how anyone over the age of fourteen could find the movie subversive. David Denby in the New Yorker speculated that the movie would mainly appeal to "aging kids."
Those of us who objected to the results of the 2000 presidential election were told to, quote, "get over it." Those of us who were outraged by the outing of Valerie Plame were condescendingly told that this was "how the game is played." Those of us who question the continued occupation of Iraq are accused of being quitters or "cut-and-runners."
It never ceases to amaze me how desperate many members of the media are to appear cool, to show they "get it"–their eye-rolling cynicism masquerading as maturity. Government surveillance, torture, fear-mongering, media manipulation, corporate corruption–this is how the world works, they shrug.
Well, they may be comfortable in such a world. But for those of us who are not, V for Vendetta is a movie to savor.
Surprising new The Young and the Restless spoilers reveal that before the week ends, Sharon and Rey will profess their love for each other, but they face overwhelming odds that could end up keeping them from living happily ever after together.
As Valentine’s Day heats up, Rey (Jordi Vilasuso) and his wife Mia (Noemi Gonzalez) enjoy some time together. However, things go terribly wrong when in the heat of the moment, Mia blurts out Arturo’s (Jason Canela) name. Mia and Arturo have a past together, and they slept together fairly recently, which is why they were estranged when Rey first showed up in Genoa City.
Perhaps not surprisingly, an angry Rey runs straight to Sharon (Sharon Case.) After all, before Mia showed up in Genoa City, Sharon and Rey grew increasingly close, and he felt his marriage was finished. Mia begged for his forgiveness and asked for another chance, so Rey felt duty bound to give her one despite his growing feelings for Sharon, who is both his landlord and co-worker at the Genoa City Police Department.
Unfortunately, after professing their love for each other, Rey spies an unusual call on a bill of Sharon’s he accidentally sees. “Sharon is doing her taxes and has bills all over the place. He even has to move some papers off the couch so he can sit down and he sees her cell phone bill. His eyes catch a call she made to 911 on the night J.T. disappeared. Rey’s stomach drops when he sees that and asks Sharon why she made that call,” said Vilasuso.
Inquisitr reported that Sharon caves this week, and it could be that the entire truth of J.T.’s murder finally comes to light. Once again, this looks like a false start for Sharon and Rey’s romance.
PANAMA CITY (AP) — Members of an Indian tribe in Panama are blocking roads in two provinces on the border with Costa Rica in a dispute over mineral exploitation on their lands.
Protesters from the Ngobe-Bugle tribe have been manning roadblocks of stones and branches set up Monday in Bocas del Toro and Chiriqui in western Panama. They have also closed sections of road in Veraguas province.
A tribal spokesman told The Associated Press on Thursday that the protesters will not negotiate directly with the government but want discussions with the Central American country's Legislative Assembly. The assembly has taken initial steps toward lifting a mining moratorium in the region where many of the tribe's members live.
Three Sycamores, an assisted-living facility for senior citizens, celebrated the opening this week of its third La Cañada Flintridge location.
Villa Three Sycamores, at 5222 Vista Lejana Lane, provides 24-hour, all-inclusive care in a familial residential setting, said administrator Gail Tucker. The location accommodates up to six residents, and couples and pets are welcome. Current residents include Carlos Moorhead, a former congressman who represented the 20th, 22nd and 27th districts.
Three Sycamores has a strong track record of beautifying and maintaining its La Cañada properties, said Pat Anderson, chief executive of the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce. She described the newest location as an asset to the city.
"With the aging of the population in America, and our community is no exception, it is nice to know there is a place so beautiful and so home-like and safe for your loved one that might need this type of care," Anderson said.
For more information, call Gail Tucker at (818) 952-0491.
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Sand dune creation Some linear sand dunes may have formed through a process called wind-rift erosion, rather than simple deposits of windblown sand, a new study has found.
The findings published in the Geological Society of America Bulletin may help explain similarities between dunes found both on Earth and on Saturn's moon Titan.
Dune fields cover most of the Earth's deserts, including about 40 per cent of Australian deserts.
Linear sand dunes — long thin dunes that stretch across the landscape — are the most common type of desert dune.
The study by scientists led by Jianxun Zhou from the China University of Petroleum, looked at linear dunes in China's Qaidam Basin.
Jianxun and colleagues examined the dune's sediments and strata, concluding they were erosional in origin, created from local materials similar to wind-sculpted hills found in many deserts known as yardangs.
The researchers say the orientations of linear dunes are controlled by local geological features, rather than by prevailing wind direction.
"Our evidence from the Qaidam Basin evidently suggests that linear dunes can be of erosional origin and that the possibility of erosional origin should not be ruled out for the linear dunes in some other dune fields on Earth, such as the Simpson-Strezelecki Desert in Australia," they write.
They say their findings may explain why some linear dunes have very different internal structures and no distinct decline in age of sediments.
It may also provide a simple explanation why linear dunes don't migrate very far downwind even though they can be oblique to the direction that sand is transported; why they exist in modern deserts but can't be found in eolian sandstones formed from windblown sand; and why they can only be reproduced in the laboratory using wide bidirectional wind patterns.
To date different strata levels in the dunes, Jianxun and colleagues used a process called optically stimulated luminescence, which allowed them to determine the last time the sample sand gains were exposed to sunlight.
The researchers concluded that rather than previously speculated migration rates of three metres a year, the dunes were actually moving by as little as 0.02 to 0.04 metres annually.
Dune formation expert, Professor Robert Wasson from the National University of Singapore says the research revisits an old debate on the origins of desert dunes.
"Most dunes are formed by wind blowing sand around and accumulation of that sand," says Wasson.
"But there's been a long standing argument about whether or not some of these dunes can be formed by the erosion of adjacent bodies of sediment such as river or lake deposits, which then just pile up locally and don't migrate very far downwind at all."
Wasson has studied similar linear dunes in the Simpson-Strezelecki and Great Sandy Deserts of Australia.
"Some people think these long linear dunes migrate tens or even hundreds of kilometres, but all the evidence suggests they don't migrate very far at all," says Wasson.
According to Jianxun, the local findings could help explain the origin of similar dunes seen on the Saturnian moon Titan.
"Nearly all researchers consider the linear dunes on Titan to be of depositional origin, but their morphodynamic interpretations are complicated and their relationships to wind directions are in dispute."
"If an erosional origin is considered, the morphodynamic interpretations of the linear dunes on Titan can also be greatly simplified," says Jianxun.
Use these social-bookmarking links to share Desert dunes created by erosion not wind.
Interest rates on U.S. Treasury bonds are rising this week, as the government conducts king-sized auctions across a range of maturities, totaling a record $115 billion. Investors are still eager to buy Treasuries, but with a recovery (and inflation) in the works T-bonds are no longer the only game in town, so buyers are insisting on higher yields as compensation. Short-term treasury rates are still very low, however, and as the threats to bank survival recede in the rear-view mirror, their funding costs are once again based on economics, rather than fear.
The Treasury has begun a record auction of bonds, with $115 billion worth of securities coming in maturities of two, five, and seven years, as well as 20-year inflation protected bonds (TIPS).
Relative to their own long-term history, Treasury yields are low, but they are climbing: the 10-year bond yield rose Monday to about 3.7 percent, up from below 2.5 percent at the end of last year. The recent rise in the stock market suggests that investors see a recovery out there somewhere, and are willing to invest again in more risky assets. That means the safe haven aspect of U.S. Treasuries is less of a focus, and bonds will have to earn their keep by paying higher yields.
Treasuries are the cheapest relative to inflation since 1994 after consumer prices fell 1.4 percent in June from a year earlier. The real yield, or the difference between rates on government securities and the real cost of living in the economy, is 5.10 percent for 10-year notes, compared with an average of 2.74 percent over the past 20 years.
That interpretation may be strictly correct based on recent inflation, which has indeed turned negative. But core inflation, that is, the CPI excluding energy and food, is still running at about two percent, and it won't be long before the drop from $147 oil works its way out of the math, and inflation is positive again. Thus the ten-year bond may not look like such a bargain 12 months hence.
On Monday three-month U.S. dollar Libor settled to about 0.50 percent, down from a recent high of about four percent at the time of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. That's a very low level, but nonetheless is the most normal reading we've had for Libor in a long time, in terms of where it stands in relation to other short rates.
Libor typically tracks U.S. Treasury bills of similar term, at a spread of about 0.50 percent, but it exploded in the past year, reflecting banks' growing doubts about the creditworthiness of their competitors.
Bloomberg provides a nifty interactive chart of the Treasury-Libor spread (known as TED, for Treasury-Eurodollar), illustrating the jitters in Libor last year in the days of Lehman, when the TED spread hit 3.6 percent even as T-bill rates were falling.
Variable-rate mortgages are often based on Libor, so if you're a floating rate borrower, enjoy it. Unfortunately, banks seldom pass on savings in their funding costs on other consumer products, such as credit cards. But a healthier banking sector helps the financial stocks: from April through late July, the S&P 500 is up 21 percent, while the financials have climbed about twice as much.
Investment disclosure: The writer owns shares of a financial ETF, and an inverse Treasury bond ETF.
Turmeric (pictured) contains curcumin, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

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