Patents to stimulate innovation

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Patents to stimulate innovation
PATSOFT 2007

• Hans-Christian Haugli
• Head Telenor RI
• hans-christian.haugli_at_telenor.com

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Agenda

• Personal background
• Norwegians and patents
• Patents laws of the jungle?
• Patents in Telenor
• One example from Telenor

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Personal background

• Msc NTNU
• European Space Technology Research Center
  (Estec), Netherlands 5 years
• International Maritime Satellite Organization
  (Inmarsat), London 10 years
• Vistar Telecommunications, Canada 9 years
• Approx 5 US patents
• Buddilinks, Canada 1,5 year
• Telenor RI since 2004
• Norwegian patents 2 pending

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Norwegians and patents

• 25 years abroad
• Very low awareness of patents
• Very high aspirations
• Scout-like approach to patents

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Patents laws of the jungle?

• Patents meant to protect the inventor
• Usually too expensive for private persons
• Small organizations can not afford to litigate
  internationally
• Increasingly difficult to detect infringements in
  software
• Easier for the large organizations
• Area for government support?

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Patents in Telenor

• Telenor files typically 15 patents a year
• Usually all, but one, from the Research and
  Innovation unit
• Often stimulated by third parties
• Building a portfolio
• Protect
• To use as currency
• (To attack)
• Financial incentives to stimulate patents
• Annual costs expected to flatten out at 10-15
  MNOK
• Get good royalties from MPEG4 patent pool
• Increasing interest in open source

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One example from Telenor

• T-Rank
• Finding relevance in text strings
• 30 better than Google and applicable where
  page-rank does not work
• Family of patents
• Basis for spin-out company
• Early phase company can not afford a fair price
  for use
• License free period and stake in company