Broader business risk from patent transactions

Intellectual property is but one part of the complex business relationships that exist between high tech companies. The same two companies can be competitors in one field, supplier and customer in a second field, and strategic partners in a third field. In such an environment, companies retain cordial relationships, even if they are strong competitors. As a result, relationships with respect to intellectual property rights tend to be cooperative rather than adversarial.

A key concern for these companies when licensing and selling patents to a third party is not to jeopardize existing inter-company relations. A purchaser or licensee of patents that aggressively asserted its newly obtained patent rights could damage the broader business operating environment of the original patent owner. Therefore, finding the right purchaser is a careful consideration.

The broader business perspective has a strong influence on patent transactions

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