Intellectual Property Books

As a lawyer, AUTM member, business professor and technology entrepreneur, I highly recommend this as one of the best books you'll find on the practical aspects of commercializing technology. The book contains a wealth of tips, models and business strategies that other books on technology transfer don't cover. (Just a few of the tools presented such as the Marioni Matrix and TRIZ are well worth the price of the book.) Especially valuable are the tools and tips for evaluating potential market applications, end users, channels, revenue potential and launch tactics.

Phyllis Speser's The Art and Science of Technology Transfer is a must read for innovators and managers of technology. There are several uncomfortable hurtles for entrepreneurs along the path to commercialization. This book pulls the curtain back with a style that is both educational as well as down right funny. My only regret is that I didnt have access to this book before I embarked on my effort to launch my technology.

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," Yossarian observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.

That is the famous line from Joseph Heller's 1961 novel, Catch 22.

Authoritas is the autobiography of Aaron Greenspan's adventures growing up in Shaker Heights, then attending Harvard, and then finding himself in Harvard's 21st-century version of Heller's Catch 22.

Authoritas is an interesting, fast paced and a times humorous read.

While at Harvard, Greenspan develops by all accounts the very first version of what is now the international website "Facebook."

Aaron Greenspan writes very well and really knows computing. With that combination I think we will be hearing a lot from Mr. Greenspan in the future.

Heller's John Yossarian would have loved reading Authoritas.

At some levels, the book is just an absolutely engaging story. At other levels, it shines a harsh light on uncaring, uncreative, and unimaginative people involved at administrative levels of education. At times, you'll be astounded at the depths educational administrators go to squash creativity, deny entrepreneurship, and cover themselves at the expense of providing service to education.

Aaron Greenspan graduated from Harvard. And although he is a successful CEO of his own company (Think Computer), his success came despite his Harvard education. In Authoritas you'll find Aaron struggle to avoid the crushing of the human spirit and the crushing of the innate desire to learn and his determination to provide compassionate assistance to his autistic brother.

Aaron's story is personal, engaging, and important.

I am finding "Biotechnology: Law, Business, andRegulation" to be a truly useful collection of information andreferences. This single book provides a comprehensive legal and business perspective to the development of medical products derived from biotechnology.

Topics covered include: academic research, patents, raising capital, alliance agreements, technology transfer, and government regulations. The book is well organized with a user-friendly and detailed table of contents, index and glossary. It is packed with a collection of practical information which I am finding to be extremely useful in winding through the complex collection of laws, regulations, guidelines and industry practices associated with this field.

Two of the many attractive features of the book are: 1) the update subscription service provided by the publisher and 2) the CD-ROM which includes copies of the book's appendices, approximately seventy documents in pdf format which can be viewed using AcrobatTM Reader, on Mac or PC computer systems.

The CD-ROM alone, with full text copies of references such as the FDA Modernization Act, the Bayh-Dole Act, the Belmont Report and lists of venture capital firms, universities and trade associations, is worth the price of the book.

"Biotechnology: Law, Business, and Regulation" is a valuable resource that will greatly assist those involved in the commercialization of new medical products. I would recommend this book to professionals in the business of developing new drug products whether traditional pharmaceuticals or biotechnology-based products.

This is an outstanding piece of scholarship that manages to bring together in a logical way the legal, business and regulatory aspects of this rapidly-advancing field. This encyclopedic work is an invaluable resource for academics, legal practitioners, regulators and students. It is the best guide to biotechnology law available worldwide. It is a model that will be replicated from other countries and regions of the world

Tad Crawford has written a whole series of books out of his expertise in the law and creative arts, with a special focus on visual arts. I'd suggest looking at Tad's other books, too, since this one is more action-focused without extensive explanations of the whys and wherefores of it.

"Business and Legal Forms" has the documents you'll need, such as contracts, model and property releases, copyright transer forms, publishing contracts and stock design forms. His descriptions are very helpful. Of greatest practical use, though, is the included media containing MS Word documents of all of the forms.

If you're just getting started in industrial design, you need this book!

This is a well crafted introduction to business forms, proposals, estimate sheets, and contracts; and I'm impressed that there is finally a publication specifically for industrial designers. The only apprehension I have is in the patent/trademark/copyright section, where the DIY form approach might not be the best idea, and actual legal help will be essential. These documents are a very good foundation, but a book alone cannot (and is not intended to) guide you in customizing forms to your own process, clients, or property... The companion CD is a huge plus with this book as well!

Not since "Rembrandts in the Attic" has such a useful and relevant publication been produced. Sure, there have been a few IP / IAM books in the interim, but not one that I could actually get through either due to an affectatious writing style, redundant subject matter (nothing new) or sheer boredom. This is a great read, very well written, timely and highly relevant in terms of recent developments and what is going on in the IP world today.

In February of 1859 in Jacksonville, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln delivered a "Lecture on Discoveries and Inventions" in which he noted that the U.S. Constitution includes a clause guaranteeing the "right" of inventors and authors to royalties for patents and copyrights. "Before then, any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention." Lincoln then made a critically important point: "The patent system changed this; secured to the inventor, for a limited time, the exclusive use of his invention; and thereby added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius, in the discovery and protection of new and useful things."

I recalled Lincoln's lecture as I began to read this book in which Robert Shearer and other members of the National Knowledge & Intellectual Property Management Taskforce address issues associated with creating new wealth from intangible assets, notably those that involve intellectual property. The material is carefully organized within five Sections. In the first, "Up Front" (Foreword, Acknowledgements, and Introduction), Shearer explains that this book "is about helping you get a quick 'take' on IP and begin to implement many of the practices described by its authors/practitioners that will alert you to many of the intricacies of IP management in its global context. We seek to alert you and provide enough foundational information that you will not be intimidated by the term IP and think this is all about law. It is not. It is about business and how the law affects business performance."

Then in Section 2, "Defining the Stakes" (Chapters 1-4), Shearer suggests that "the stakes involved in IP management are high and they are global. This is a 'game' that will be won with crafty and innovative strategies to control IP in global markets." First Mike Geoffrey explains how to build IP value in the corporation; then Bill Coughlin examines corporate UIP management in the global market; next, Vassilis Keramidas shares his thoughts about IP and its effects on corporate research and development; and finally, Steve Henning addresses core issues concerning the economic infrastructure, standards, regulations, and capital markets. As for the three remaining sections, they are "Creating the Assets" (Chapters 5-7), "New Dynamics of Corporate Management" (Chapters 8-12), and "Creating New Wealth" (Chapters 13-15). Those who contribute essays to the remaining chapters broaden, deepen, and enrich even more the reader's understanding of how to create new wealth from international property assets, to be sure, but also - to varying degrees and from somewhat different perspectives - they enable the reader to determine the nature and extent of her or his own organization's capabilities when measured by the standards established throughout this book.

Of special interest to me is what Bob Shearer and Bruce Stuckman, Dave Haug, Jan Jaferian, Mark Karasek, and Christopher Leisner have to say about "new dynamics of corporate management" in Section Four, especially in light of the various management challenges rigorously examined in the previous Section, "Creating the Assets," notably the difficulty of establishing the value of IP assets. Hence the importance of identifying, organizing, and then managing those assets for their value relative to competitors within the given industry.

Here is a representative selection of key points from Section Four: The pervasive nature of IP management means that more people need to be more sophisticated about IP and its effects on their responsibilities in the given enterprise. (Shearer and Stuckman) Value must be determined on at least three levels: cash flow to the business unit, cash flow to the IP business, and non-cash value benefits to the total business. (Haug) Organizations need to develop multifunctional intellectual asset management (IAM) capabilities, which requires the incorporation of IP business management and analytical skills to augment traditional legal skills. (Jaferian) Corporate structure for IP management will be driven by an IP committee and an intellectual capital team to complement senior management's strategy, direction, and decision-making. (Karasek). The value of the company's IP assets can be developed systematically by determining what the company's assets consist of in terms of their value to the owner as well as their value to other companies. (Leisner)

Credit Robert Shearer and his associates for their skillful use of several reader-friendly devices that include a list of "Key Points to Look For" at the beginning of each chapter and a "Capabilities Development" summary at the conclusion of each chapter that provides observations and action items for corporate performance improvement. These reader-friendly devices serve two very important purposes. First, they summarize key points but they also facilitate, indeed accelerate frequent review of those points later.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Competing in a Flat World: Building Enterprises for a Borderless World co-authored by Victor K. Fung, William K. Fung, and Yoram (Jerry) Wind as well as Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success by Dean R. Spitzer, Harvard Business Review on Managing the Value Chain and HBR on Measuring Corporate Performance, Gary Hamel's The Future of Management (with Bill Breen), and Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.

Very helpful and well written. Thanks for a great book.

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This is the most advanced book I have seen on licensing. Until I read this book, I hadn't fully appreciated the extent to which licensing is a business.

Any inventor of technology, from low-tech to high-tech, could apply the business strategies laid out in this book. I am not aware of any book that adds so much to the licensing field. This author really has something new to contribute, and does so in plain language.

Although this book is written for Canadian innovators, the strategies it lays out apply to innovation in any country. The same is true of the strategies it lays out on global transfer pricing, something I had never considered in the business of technology licensing.

It is logical, though, that this book originates in Canada because almost half of Canada's GDP is generated globally (much higher than most other countries) and therefore global licensing and transfer pricing are particularly important to Canadians and to Canada's role in the new economy.

I would buy this book just for the analysis of the business of licensing, or just for the analysis of transfer pricing. As a Canadian reader, I would also buy this book just for the final chapter, which exposes the true nature of Canada's international tax law regime.

Although it is now almost fifty years since the first edition appeared, a recent rereading reminded me why this has long been considered the essential English-language oveview of the social thought of turn-of-the-century continental Europe (Germany, France, Italy, and Austria). Hughes focuses on the central issues in social theory--positivism, pragmatism, idealism, irrationalism, materialism, liberalism--as they were addressed by the most innovative and influential thinkers of the period (notably Freud, Durkheim, Croce, Bergson, Sorel, and Pareto, and--Hughes' hero--Weber). Hughes assess ideas at a high level of abstraction, so this is probably not the book for a reader with no previous acquaintance with modern social theory. And although he sketches in the social and political background and offers penetrating biographical sketches, Hughes does not undertake the kind of close reading exemplified by Carl Schorske's Fin-de-Siecle Vienna, which demonstrates the intimate links between intellectuals' life experience and their ideas. But not many works of history age this well. One sign of Hughes' success: closing this book, I wanted to pick up Freud and Durkheim and Weber again.

This is an important book that is deservedly back in print and well worth reading at a time when we seem to be reliving the mistakes of the positivistic surge at the end of the nineteenth century, deja vu all over again. The crash of the Hegelian movement and the reversal of thought in the post-Hegelian generation saw many influenced by the (quite metaphysical) Comtean positivism, among them none other than Charles Darwin. The effect is practically cast in granite in the works of Marx who unwittinlgy signatures the trend. The tide of positivism carrying its distinct set of hidden metaphysical premises and limits was fairly well exposed at the time, but in the age of dominant Darwinism it has made a comeback in disguise. Hughes goes through the whole development tracing the stream of influences and gives us an significant portrait of intellectual history we seemed doomed to relive none the wiser. (Reviewed from memory, I think I got it right)

This book is a wonderful review of copyright law. Its short, easy to read and very complete. If you are a student or simply curious as to current copyright law I highly recommend this book. If you are more advanced in IP law, I recommend this book only to complete your collection.

Stim has a knack for delivering content that is valuable for both the lawyer and the layperson. If you are a business person in need of a quick overview of copyright law, this book will give you a clearly-written explanation of what can be copyrighted, how to register your copyright, and the basic defenses to a copyright infringement action. Attorneys will appreciate the ample legal cites. This writer used the book as an overview to prep for a copyright course in law school... and it has made all the difference.

This 12 chapter book is intended as a college text for business majors. However, it also deserves a place on the working professional's bookshelf, and is suited to both business and IT professionals.

Highlights: It's an up-to-date text that addresses the full range of topics from the contemporary legal environment defined and changed by the internet, to business agreements. The chapters on contract law, privacy and liability are essential reading for anyone involved in e-commerce, either as a business process owner or as an IT professional who is responsible for online content.

The first seven chapters are my favorite because they covered information that is of particular interest to business and IT professionals. Chapter 1 covers the legal landscape of e-commerce issues, then segues into three chapters on contract law, present and future issues of contract law that are specific to e-commerce, and contracting and licensing software. These chapters realistically address real issues and challenges. These chapters build the foundation for the next chapters that cover torts in general, and cyber torts in particular, and liability issues (often overlooked, but a all-too-real exposure).

Chapters 8 through 10 cover intellectual property in great detail. This topic is an inescapable reality of doing business over the internet, and is one in which the legal issues are still evolving. I recommend that anyone who focuses on this aspect of law also read Bill Zoellick's excellent book, CyberRegs: A Business Guide to Web Property, Privacy, and Patents. Chapter 11 is a brief examination of business organization that can be glossed over, but the final chapter, 12, on cyber companies and internet agreements is an essential chapter that is filled with invaluable facts and advice.

Don't let the fact that this is a college text deter you from purchasing this book. It is an excellent deskside reference that will guide you through real life issues.

I had a dream when I was younger to be a Lawyer practicing Corporate Law or IT-based law. That dream never came true because now I'm an IT manager, but the fire was stoked when I picked up this book to review for one of my Masters courses. The book give you a clear understanding of legal terms, the trend with a focus on Internet Law, and how businesses will need to prepare themselves for the future precidence setting rulings to come. You don't have to be a legal geek to appreciate this work. Even outside of my scholastic requirement for getting this book I think I would have enjoyed it on it's own. It has indeed sparked a desire to search for more books on the subject.

The author has done a fantastic job. He has made what most think a dull, boring subject alive and interesting.

While not readily apparent from the title, this comprehensive book should be read by all in-house counsel in technology and other companies with IP assets. It covers IP basics and addresses history, public policy and strategic management from a global perspective. I did not expect to come across so many practical insights.