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Licensing's In ... Lawyer's Out
Licensing is too important to be left to lawyers. Or so goes the current thinking at Hewlett-Packard Development, L.P., where the only thing less popular than a long-lasting inkjet cartridge is an attorney brainstorming royalty deals. For years, Stephen Fox, the company's longtime chief intellectual property lawyer, had been the champion of a ramped-up licensing strategy: mining the company's intellectual property for revenue opportunities, pushing for a less ad hoc, more systematic approach to licensing, delivering what he often publicly called a “more entrepreneurial view” of the company's IP portfolio. But entrepreneurship, HP ultimately decided, was best left to entrepreneurs. In January, when the company announced a new licensing organization designed to increase royalty revenue, it gave the green light to Fox's ideas ' and put the brakes on Fox himself. The new licensing group would be run by a veteran HP manager.
Some lawyers might call that a raw deal. Fox, who has spent 36 years at HP (18 as its chief IP lawyer), calls it “optimum effectiveness.” That may sound like team play by a guy with nearly four decades on the team, but Fox is adamant that a separate organization, run by someone else, who will do the strategizing he used to do is exactly what he had in mind. Licensing, Fox says, “works well when placed in a business activity that is accountable for profit and loss, rather than in the legal department, which is an expense center.”
New York's Latest Cybersecurity Commitment
On Aug. 9, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced New York's inaugural comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. In sum, the plan aims to update government networks, bolster county-level digital defenses, and regulate critical infrastructure.
Law Firms are Reducing Redundant Real Estate by Bringing Support Services Back to the Office
A trend analysis of the benefits and challenges of bringing back administrative, word processing and billing services to law offices.
Bit Parts
Summary Judgment Denied Defendant in Declaratory Action by Producer of To Kill a Mockingbird Broadway Play Seeking Amateur Theatrical Rights
How AI Has Affected PR
When we consider how the use of AI affects legal PR and communications, we have to look at it as an industrywide global phenomenon. A recent online conference provided an overview of the latest AI trends in public relations, and specifically, the impact of AI on communications. Here are some of the key points and takeaways from several of the speakers, who provided current best practices, tips, concerns and case studies.