Every year, we see the pace of technological innovation increase. Whether in mobile communications, automotive, artificial intelligence, blockchain or pharmaceuticals, there seems no end to the opportunities which technology will bring.
As industries converge, there remain some imperatives to ensure that innovation can continue. Those who create products and services need access to the intellectual property – mostly patents – of those who have built the technologies, while those who have invented those technologies need a fair return on their investment in innovation, to ensure that the creative cycle can continue.
At Marconi, we work where these two worlds converge, at the forefront of technological innovation. As an expert organization, trusted by patent owners and product creators alike, we believe there are topics that all those involved in the business of innovation need to consider. Over the coming months, we’ll be writing on topics at the intersection of intellectual property and business; offering our thoughts on the future of the sharing of technologies.
But first, I wanted to tell you a little bit about Marconi. In 2017, we recognized the need for a new approach to how technologies were shared. In the past, those who created the technologies and those who implemented them would negotiate individual patent licenses, involving many lengthy negotiations and high costs.
As we move to a world where evermore companies are creating products and services; a new approach is needed, and we established Marconi to transform patent licensing across different technologies and products. We now have four different companies, united by that shared vision:
Avanci is focused on licensing cellular standard essential patents in the Internet of Things and automotive markets, offering a one-stop license at a fixed price to the patents of 39 licensors. Fifteen automotive brands are already under license, with more than 16 million licensed connected vehicles on the world’s roads. Earlier this year, the World Economic Forum awarded Avanci among its Technology Pioneers for 2020, recognizing its work in accelerating innovation for the Internet of Things.
Velos Media licenses essential patents for the HEVC video codec standard, from six patent owners responsible for many of the most significant HEVC innovations. Velos Media has around 40 licensees, covering a significant share of the markets for HEVC capable set-top boxes and televisions, as well as other categories of HEVC capable products.
Teletry is focused on licensing The BlackBerry patent portfolio, one of the most valuable in the wireless telecommunications industry, spanning more than 38,000 patents and patent applications around the world. Teletry unlocks opportunities and creates value for BlackBerry and smartphone companies.
Innovius creates new ways to share patented inventions. We develop solutions that provide value for both product innovators and patent owners, bringing together portfolios for licensing as well as negotiating and administering license agreements. Our goal is to simplify licensing for patent owners and enable manufacturers to offer their products with confidence and minimal disruption.
Marconi supports all of these companies with a team of world class licensing experts. Our leaders include the former heads of intellectual property at companies such as Ericsson, Google, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments. Eleven of our people were recognized amongst this year’s IAM Strategy 300, which identifies the individuals who are leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximise the value of IP portfolios.
The topics we will write about reflect the diversity of innovation that has enabled this new approach to sharing IP. I do hope you will find them interesting, perhaps thought provoking, but above all, useful. Stay tuned!