Intellectual Property Master Class: How IP Impacts Development of Financial Services and RFID Industries

The mismanagement or redefinition of IP can impact an entire industry with ongoing effects. This presentation explored the impact of IP on two industries: RFID (radio frequency identification) and financial services. In the RFID industry, the IP was created first and then subsequently managed in a way that it thwarted the industry, penalizing all the players versus securing wealth creation for the leaders. The financial services industry flourished for an entire century on trademarks alone until a landmark court decision legitimatized a new form of intellectual property — business method patents — and the industry was transformed overnight. The presentation went beyond these two case studies to explore specific strategies that differentiate the winners from the losers.

Paul Germeraad, President, and Paula Jellinghaus, Vice President, of IntellectualASSETS, Inc. presented the case studies and the lessons to be derived.