Carr & Ferrell > Practice > Intellectual Property > Strategic IP

Strategic Intellectual Property

Every great company has some form of competitive advantage.  This advantage may be exceptional branding, location, unique expertise, distribution channels, technology, or even dominant size; but in order to survive and succeed, every business must find a distinguishing edge. The most powerful commercial advantage is the monopoly, where the business has exclusive control over its market. Monopolies appear nearly everywhere in commerce; many of the most profitable businesses in American commerce rely on some form of monopoly for their success.
 
Carr & Ferrell has worked with hundreds of Silicon Valley businesses and have helped them focus their Intellectual Property in a strategic way that allows them to gain market share and monopolize their industries.  Over the years, our firm has formalized this process and we now offer a comprehensive Strategic Intellectual Property (IP) program.
 
Strategic IP evolves over three years, and is set-up in quarterly modules. The strategy sessions begin with an Invention Inventory meeting, where clients will meet with their Strategic IP team to brainstorm and prioritize future monopolies.
 
During the first year, the Building year, we identify core business monopolies and design and organize an intellectual property roadmap for achieving these monopolies.  
 
The second year, the Defending year, is focused on organizing IP assets defensively in order to identify, avoid and prepare for potential intellectual property litigation. Litigation is expensive and distracting. We have developed some easy-to-use tactics that will encourage competitors to think twice before launching a patent suit in retaliation for the increasing loss of market share they will be facing in the years to come.  
 
The third year, the Competing year, centers on building value for the company, and using Intellectual Property assets to capture competitor market share. For those companies considering a monetization event such as an acquisition, merger or public offering, we will share with you strategies for enhancing valuation through portfolio positioning.