Case Studies.
In one of its largest acquisitions to date, Google is set to shell out $2.1 billion for Fitbit. The purchase
has been framed by the mainstream media as a way for Google to strengthen its position in the
wearables industry, especially given that Apple is a leading player. However, this is an over simplification.
Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision (its parent company), has long been celebrated as a leading player in the IP community. Under chairman Terry Gou’s savvy guidance, the company has built a robust patent portfolio with recognised clout in the US as well as other key jurisdictions. In 2016, when Foxconn acquired Sharp for a cool $3.8 billion, there were questions over how the company would deploy the IP that came with it.
Read MoreThe drone industry has taken off in the past five years after initially developing in the military. Drone technology is now penetrating the consumer market and is increasingly being adopted for civil use. Goldman Sachs forecasted a $100 billion market opportunity for drones between 2015 and 2020.
Read MoreCanon is a prolific patent filer and possesses the world’s third largest portfolio of US grants, according to the most recent IAM/ktMINE US Patent 100. Despite having a reputation for pursuing a conservative patent strategy, the Japanese company has made a number of unexpected moves in the past year.
Read MoreSeoul Semiconductor recently dipped its toes into the sales side of the patent market with an announcement that it will be auctioning off two patent packages – one at the end of this month and the other in January. The divestitures are part of a new strategy which will see the company slimming its portfolio to reinvest resources in developing modern technologies and strengthening its core business areas.
Read MoreAlthough the smartphone market continues to grow, growth in the developed markets of Japan, the US, and the EU - accounting for roughly 70% of Apple's sales in Q1 2015 - is slowing down. The question of whether the company can capture a share of growth in emerging markets seems to be the key to its future, but competition from leaders in those markets, such as China's Xiaomi Inc. is intensifying.
Read MoreXiaomi's approach to catching up technologically is simple: get patent licenses, or acquire companies and technologies. Xiaomi has the rights to roughly 617 patents in the US, and 62% of these were transferred from outside rights holders. In order to compare Xiaomi's technological position with that of Fujitsu, Japan's leading telecommunications manufacturer, we created a panoramic chart using...
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