Patent litigation has taken off in recent decades. While many of the most visible patent lawsuits are initiated by major technology companies seeking to gain leverage over competitors, an increasing number are brought by patent trolls—firms that acquire patents with no intention of developing a technology with them, but instead use them to threaten practicing companies with litigation over alleged infringements. In this BU Law podcast, host David Yas, a BU Law alum, former publisher of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and a V.P. at Bernstein Global Wealth, joins James E. Bessen, lecturer in law at Boston University School of Law and a faculty associate at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, to talk about his paper, The Private and Social Costs of Patent Trolls. Together they discuss the economic impact of the surge in lawsuits by patent trolls, the potential for legislation to solve this problem, and how the patent war is ultimately affecting innovation.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:52 — 18.3MB)

On this edition of IP Counsel, host Attorney Peter Lando, partner at the firm of Lando & Anastasi, LLP, welcomes Rob Follett, Director and Counsel, Intellectual Property, ZOLL Medical Corporation, to discuss the best practices for developing and managing a company’s IP program. Peter and Rob take a look at three major components of a successful IP program: education and overview of intellectual property, including agreements with IP implications; idea collection and the submission process; and IP management.  Each of these practices serves to enlist employees and raise awareness about intellectual property in your company.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Samet & Company, and Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:14 — 27.9MB)

What constitutes subject matter that can be patented? It’s been studied by the courts for more than 100 years. On this edition of IP Counsel, we delve into the issue and take a close look at the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the recent Bilski v. Kappos decision involving the patentability of business methods. IP Counsel host, Attorney Peter Lando, partner at the firm of Lando & Anastasi , LLP calls on special guest, Gary Ganzi, VP Intellectual Property for Siemens Water Technologies Corp. (a subsidiary of Siemens, AG), an inventor and holder of more 25 patents and co-chair of the Patent Office Practice Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, to weigh in on this topic. Join us and find out what is and isn’t patent eligible and where this issue goes from here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:48 — 17.8MB)