The pandemic that will define 2020 has put many types of intellectual property in the spotlight – particularly, of course, in life sciences. Who will develop an effective vaccine or vaccines for Covid-19, and how will their intellectual property rights be balanced against the world’s urgent need to exploit those rights? The same question will be asked in relation to any drugs that appear to be effective against the virus. But 2020 has highlighted many other aspects of IP as well.
New systems are being developed for tracking and tracing not only infections, but also the movements of individuals. Remote working on an unprecedented scale is boosting a host of related technologies. Broadcasters are finding new ways of creating content, and businesses are discovering new techniques for remote engagement with their customers. Some owners of IP that has traditionally been based in the ‘old’ world are striving to find ways to monetise it online. The development of dozens of technologies has been boosted – the CEO of Microsoft believes we have seen two years of digital transformation in two months.
At the other extreme, some distressed businesses, ranging from retailers to publishers, are focusing on their IP rights because those rights are among their few remaining assets with any real value. The crisis will likely see some well-known businesses fail, but some of their brands will re-emerge under new ownership. Some franchise agreements and other contracts that include IP will unexpectedly come up for renegotiation. If lockdown or other restrictions have slowed your R&D or design development, are you at risk of losing out in a first-to-file system? Or perhaps you are running a platform that suddenly has insufficient content? Have you made the necessary technical, environmental restrictions to qualify for protection?
Whatever your opportunities or challenges may be in our strange new world, an effective IP strategy will include both commercialisation and enforcement. CMS can help you devise and execute that strategy.
Our dedicated team of over 450 specialist lawyers, scientists and patent attorneys can draw on a wealth of understanding and experience to meet your business needs – experience gained in acting for some of the world’s best-known brands, from banks to tech and media companies, and life science businesses to major FMCG players. We handle the full lifecycle of IP assets, in both contentious and non-contentious work. Whether you own IP or license it, we can help you maximise the value of the assets in your portfolio, even in such difficult times as these.
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