Moving up: IP STARS copyright and transactions rankings revealed
The IP STARS rankings for copyright and intellectual property transactions were published on Wednesday, July 31, and Hogan Lovells, Houthoff, and AC&R were among the firms that climbed up the ranks.
More than 300 firms were ranked for their copyright and related rights work across 44 jurisdictions. For IP transactions, more than 100 law firms were recognised across 16 jurisdictions.
More than 1,700 firms participated in the research, which included providing details of their copyright and IP transactions work as well as client referees.
To read the full article, click here.
Qantm shareholders vote through private equity bid
Australian-listed company and intellectual property business Qantm IP’s shareholders approved a private equity buyout bid for the company on Thursday, July 31.
Adamantem had proposed to buy all shares of Qantm at A$1.817 ($1.19) per share. Of the shareholders present and voting, 98.68% voted in favour of Adamantem Capital’s proposal.
To read the full article, click here.
Mishcon and Dentons report revenue rises
Mishcon de Reya reported revenue of £300 million ($385 million) for the last financial year, a 17% increase on the £256.4 million in 2022/23. However, profits decreased slightly from £93 million to £90 million (-3%).
Meanwhile, global firm Dentons reported increased revenues for its UK, Ireland and Middle East regions.
Revenue was £280.5 million for the year ending April 30 2024, up 5% from the £265.1 million reported in 2022/23.
To read the full article, click here.
Other articles published on Managing IP this week include:
Five minutes with…Carmen Castellano, Castellano IP
Weekly take: Why lawyers must give themselves a break
Behind the case: How Procopio secured life sciences PTAB win
Reunion with former colleague tempts litigator to Lippes Mathias
Behind the case: Kirkland weighs in on seminal SEP dispute
In or out? How companies allocate patent prosecution work
Excuse my French: Canadian TM lawyers react to translation law
Elsewhere in IP
ChAIna growth
According to China’s IP office, CNIPA, there were 378,000 AI invention patents in effect in China at the end of 2023, representing a year-on-year growth rate of more than 40%. CNIPA said this was higher than the global average.
Earlier this month, a WIPO report revealed that China had taken the global lead in number of generative AI patent applications.
AI act
On the subject of AI, the EU’s AI act came into force on Thursday, August 1. The act, agreed earlier this year, promises to set a precedent for comprehensive AI regulation across the EU. Companies globally developing or deploying AI within the EU will need to navigate a new landscape of rules.
Licence deal
InterDigital and Panasonic have signed a new licence, it was announced yesterday, August 1. The agreement covers InterDigital’s 4G and 5G cellular, HEVC video and Wi-Fi patents.
InterDigital’s chief licensing officer Eeva Hakoranta said: “We always value working with a client like Panasonic where there is a long-standing level of trust and respect between both sides.”
Invoice warning
The UKIPO issued a fresh warning on Tuesday, July 30, to beware of misleading requests for payments, sent by unsolicited organisations. According to the UKIPO, these typically take the form of invoices requesting payment for trademarks, designs, or patents services.
Top innovators
IP analytics company Clarivate published an ‘Innovators to Watch’ report on Tuesday, July 30. The report highlights the organisations that could enter Clarivate’s 'Top 100 Global Innovators' for 2025 and is based on those companies' past innovation performance. China-based Baidu and BBK Electronics were the top two companies with US-based Juniper Networks third.
IP switches
Morgan Lewis announced on Monday, July 29 that it has hired two intellectual property partners in Germany. Alexander Klett and Christoph Mikyska, who previously worked at Reed Smith, will join the firm’s Munich office.
Meanwhile, in a move the other way, US firm Nixon Peabody announced that litigator Elizabeth Chiaviello had joined the firm’s Washington DC office from Morgan Lewis.
That's it for today, see you again next week.
