IP Marketing Advisor » Intellectual Property Marketing

New social network serves student entrepreneurs

Steve Lewis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:43:14 +0000

Two students at the New York University Stern School of Business and a former MySpace IT director have started FledgeWing, a new social network that aims to connect aspiring student entrepreneurs with one another as well as with mentors, investors, and industry professionals. The service includes indexed articles, events, jobs, schools, companies, and student organizations. In addition, would-be entrepreneurs are given opportunities to present their projects, find mentors, and submit case studies. Students present brief descriptions of their projects along with goals and objectives. Others may leave comments or request to join the project. The case studies are presented as business challenges within the tech/social media world and range from the creation of a retail outlet for Microsoft to the development of a business model for Twitter. Students are encouraged to submit their case studies as comments, attaching any necessary documents to validate or clarify their POV (point of view). The site also has been categorized by areas of interest, and different forums, students, mentors, and companies appear in each category.

Co-founder Lewis Drummond says his team is “bringing together the brightest and most creative minds during a time when the entire structure of business is changing. The site has a large database of mentors, companies, and jobs…. FledgeWing also regularly hosts all-expenses paid networking events … along with business plan competitions with cash prizes. Entrepreneurial clubs can participate in and host forums, while a feedback-style rating system and comprehensive intellectual property agreement ensure quality control and legal protection for both users and club moderators. Additionally, clubs can create events and have a place for users to collaborate together on specific projects.” In addition to bridging the gap between professional and student entrepreneurialism, the site also intends to encourage more cooperation and collaboration between student entrepreneurs and supporting organizations at different universities.

Go to: ReadWriteWeb

Four key challenges addressed in upcoming tech transfer audioconferences

David Schwartz — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:41:23 +0000

IP Marketing E-News parent company BizWorld has lined up four distance learning audioprograms over the next two months that address some of the most critical challenges and opportunities facing tech transfer and IP professionals. Click on the individual titles below for complete program and faculty information:

IP Bundling: Establish Effective Partnerships to Increase the Value of Your Innovations - July 9, 2009 1:00-2:30 pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
Conflict of Interest in University Research: Strengthen Your Process and Policies - July 22, 2009 1:00-2:30 pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
Achieve Success by Taking a Business-Minded Approach to Tech Transfer - August 6, 2009 1:00-2:30 pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
Launch Your Own VC! Create Your Own Funding Vehicle For University Technologies - August 26, 2009 1:00-2:30 pm (Eastern Daylight Time)

How do you master your media image?

Steve Lewis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:38:51 +0000

While marketing and advertising may give you an edge in rough times, don’t assume that media exposure will help you meet business targets — or even your communication goals, advises the blog Executive Leadership. “Prepare for media interviews by reviewing what the reporter has published or aired before. Ask the reporter for draft interview questions in advance. Most of all, know what you want to say and rehearse it,” says EL. The post goes on to cite these six tips for conveying your message into an understandable story, adapted from Strategic Corporate Communications, by Paul A. Argenti (McGraw-Hill).

Make your answers short. A 10-second sound bite is better than droning on and being cut off mid-sentence.
Never say “No comment,” which sounds as though you have something to hide. Instead, explain why you can’t answer, promise to get back to the reporter and follow through later.
Listen closely to the question, and answer thoughtfully. If the question seems to come from a negative perspective, don’t go on the offensive. Instead, say, “Here’s how I see it,” and clarify.
Use this kind of “bridging” to move from the interviewer’s goals to yours.
Tell stories, make comparisons, and offer simple statistics to back up your points.
Keep your body language open and friendly.

Later, measure not just the amount of media coverage but how well it converts into your goals, says EL. Sometimes media exposure can be counterproductive if an executive is seen as not minding the store. Finally, keep your media ties strong. Just as in real life, you can’t turn relationships on and off at will. Speak regularly with journalists — not only when a crisis hits — to explain developments in your field.

Go to: Business Management Daily

Tech transfer firm creates ‘pipeline’ of potential partners

Steve Lewis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:35:43 +0000

When clients of Foresight Science & Technology are looking to license their IP or find partners, the company often has a ready list of contacts to provide them thanks to a marketing initiative the Providence, RI-based company has developed called “Pipeline Partners.” Phyl Speser, JD, PhD, the CEO and founder of Foresight, describes it as an “internally developed and frequently updated network of companies interested in licensing or buying new technologies from Foresight customers.” The pipeline now numbers several hundred partners “and we’re constantly growing,” he says. It’s an idea TTOs may want to adapt as part of their own marketing operations. The concept is a ‘win-win,’ says Speser. “Tech acquisition is just a supply chain problem,” he maintains. “The benefit to the partners is that it cuts their costs of acquiring technology.” For Foresight, he continues, it offers an efficiency gain. “If you can use the same relationship for many units, your per-unit cost goes down,” he explains. “But it only works if you do massive numbers because of the cost of maintaining the relationships.”

The original impetus for establishing the program, launched about two years ago, was clearly grounded in volume. “We market differently than most people,” says Speser. “If your business model is that you will be at a high volume but a lower margin — a best value producer — you need to think about how to create economies of scale, just like you would in industry. We’re like a factory for this kind of work.” A potential pipeline partner, says Speser, is “an entity that is a repeat player in technology acquisition.” To recruit partners, “you design a program to optimize benefit and minimize cost for the partner; if it makes good business sense, people are happy to participate,” he adds. The list of potential partners, he continues, is virtually limitless. “Every time we talk to somebody, we’re exploring the potential for a pipeline partner. Or, sometimes we might feel we’re weak in a particular area and we’ll go out and get some [partners in that space].” Foresight has a full-time person whose job it is to maintain the program — and there is a cost to that maintenance. “You have to stay current with what partners are looking for, and people change at companies all the time so you have to keep that current as well,” he explains. “And, you have to be able provide information in the formats they want. But all of this optimizes the ‘win-win.’” A detailed article on Pipeline Partners appears in the June 2009 issue of Intellectual Property Marketing Advisor. For subscription information, CLICK HERE.

Is brand loyalty a myth?

Steve Lewis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:31:29 +0000

How loyal are customers to brands? A new marketing study says that at least when it comes to groceries they’re pretty fickle. For the average manufacturer’s grocery brand, less than half of consumers who made 70% or more of their category purchases with a single brand in 2007 maintained a similar level of loyalty in 2008, according to a survey of 32 million consumers. The study, which examined 685 brands, also found that a third of those customers completely stopped buying their once-favored brand names. There are 30,000 new products introduced at grocery stores each year, says Todd Morris, a senior vice president at Catalina Marketing, which conducted the study with the industry group known as the Chief Marketing Officer Council. That gives consumers a lot of choices. If companies want to retain their brand buyers, they need to identify and target consumers at risk of defecting, Morris says. “If a mother is questioning whether Hershey’s syrup is the right thing to give to her kids, she might reconsider if she knew that it has calcium or there was a version with a lower number of calories,” Morris says. “You want to be specific and give them advice on why a product is right and what the value is.”

Go to: Google News

Ride ‘em cowboy: Taming ‘Wild West’ of social media

Steve Lewis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:30:16 +0000

Brandon Chesnutt of Identity Marketing and Public Relations says marketers must learn “How to Think Like a Social Media Cowboy,” calling today’s social media the online equivalent of the Wild West. You must focus on strategy, not technology, he told a crowd in Royal Oak, MI, during a session conveved as part of WWJ Radio’s ‘Laptop Lunch’ series. Figure out who you’re trying to reach and what you’re trying to get them to do long before you post that first tweet on Twitter or create that company fan site on Facebook, Chestnutt advised. He said businesses also need to bring teams together across departments to work on social media projects. “Listen — and listen some more,” he emphasized. Monitor social sites to see what they’re saying about you, and be willing to step in and respond to complaints publicly. Finally, Chesnutt recommended, appoint a true boss for social media content and have a real social media policy — and remember that people are interesting, not companies. Or, as Chesnutt quoted Ford Motor Co. online marketing guru Scott Monty, “It’s a lot harder to screw a brand when there is a person behind it.”

Go to: WWJ Newsradio 950

BizWorld offers new series of tech transfer market research reports

David Schwartz — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:28:45 +0000

BizWorld, parent company of IP Marketing E-News and Technology Transfer Tactics, is pleased to present a new line of in-depth market research reports under a newly established partnership with Business Insights, a world leader in strategic market analysis. Business Insights’ portfolio of reports is designed to help you make well-informed and timely business decisions. With an underlying understanding of problems facing today’s research commercialization professionals and executives, these high-value resources will help you crystallize your strategic planning and drive your organization forward. The first three reports being offered under the partnership arrangement are highly relevant to tech transfer and IP professionals. Click on the individual links for full details:

Exec hacks friends for sales

Steve Lewis — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:26:31 +0000

Aggressiveness is often considered an asset in sales, but here’s a guy who went way over the line. David Goldenberg, 47, of Oceanside, NY, a sales executive who used personal information to guess passwords, hack into e-mail accounts and listen in on conference calls between his friend’s company and its client, was fined $1,000 and sentenced to three years probation for a single count of felony wiretapping. He initially faced five felony charges but was spared jail time under a plea agreement with New Jersey prosecutors. The episode should also serve as a cautionary tale on how important it is to protect sensitive information: victims estimate he cost them more than $10 million in lost business and security-improvement expenses.

Marla Suttenberg, owner of Woodcliff Lake-based Sapphire Marketing, says both companies targeted by the hacker continue to suffer. “Our business has been changed forever,” Suttenberg asserts. “Customers that used to trust us with information are now afraid to tell us anything for fear of being compromised.” Suttenberg describes Goldenberg as a close friend. When Goldenberg ran into hard times, she arranged an interview for him with Randy Klein, executive vice president of Crestron Electronics Inc. Crestron makes touch-screen controllers that automate electronic components in affluent homes and presentation equipment used in corporate boardrooms. (Sapphire serves as Crestron’s exclusive sales agent in the Northeast). Goldenberg, however, wound up landing a sales job with Crestron’s primary competitor, Richardson, TX-based AMX Corp. Crestron began to rapidly lose business to AMX after Goldenberg joined them. AMX was undercutting Crestron’s prices and started showing up at the same trade shows and conferences. It turned out that Goldenberg, who was rapidly promoted to vice president before his March 2008 arrest, had used his knowledge of Suttengerg and her family — including pet names and children’s birth dates — to guess e-mail passwords.. He even used intercepted information to log into conference calls where market strategies and customer purchases were discussed.

Klein said what bothers him most is that AMX continues to benefit from Goldenberg’s illegal activities. “Goldenberg was arrested, but they’re still deriving a benefit from his actions,” Klein said of AMX. “That intellectual property is the foundation of our company.”

Go to: Google News

U of Michigan’s TTO clarifies student IP policy

Steve Lewis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:16:29 +0000

The University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer has decided to remove a potential barrier to innovation by making it clear that student entrepreneurs can pursue their inventions on campus without concern that the university will later try to claim ownership. The change is reflected in several key changes to university tech transfer policy. The most significant change clarifies the ownership provisions for IP created by students. University policy is now unambiguous: Student entrepreneurs are the sole owners of their inventions, even if they work on a project in a university design course, receive guidance from a faculty member, or use specialized university equipment. However, inventions made on the job by UM student employees will be treated as employee inventions. In those cases, the university would claim ownership. “We want to do whatever we can to encourage student entrepreneurship, and this change clears the way for students to openly bring their ideas to campus,” says Kenneth Nisbet, the TTO executive director.

Tech Transfer officials work regularly with UM students at the Zell-Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, the College of Engineering’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and MPowered Entrepreneurship, a student entrepreneur organization. In recent years, there’s been some confusion about the policy dealing with IP ownership. Tech transfer officials received inquiries about a rather broad clause stating that the university could claim ownership of IP developed by student inventors who relied on “direct or indirect support of funds administered by the University.” For instance, if a student devised a new web tool and wanted to tinker with it using equipment at the UM Duderstadt Center on North Campus, would the student’s use of that equipment constitute indirect support that could later lead to a UM ownership claim? That was never the intent, Nisbet says. To make the policy crystal clear, the newly revised version simply eliminates the clause about direct or indirect support. “This change both clarifies our intent and sends a strong message,” Nisbet says. “The message is that students are encouraged to bring their ideas to campus and that we’re eager to help them pursue those ideas.”

Go to: WWJ Newsradio 950

Audioconference to tackle conflict of interest in university research

David Schwartz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:14:58 +0000

As the business of technology transfer continues to evolve, increased attention is being focused on managing conflicts of interest that can arise within university research programs and tech transfer offices. Without effective policies, processes, and faculty education, your institution risks loss of funding, federal investigations, multi-million dollar settlements, and a hit to your reputation that could cost you dearly for years to come. The stakes are getting higher - and the issues becoming more complex - as large corporate sponsorships become more common and faculty start-ups continue to gain favor with many TTOs. To help you guard against this threat, our Distance Learning Division has lined up an expert attorney and a veteran TTO exec — Bernadette M. Broccolo of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP, and Anne C. Di Sante, Director of Technology Transfer at Wayne State University — to bring you detailed legal advice as well as practical, how-to guidance on tackling the thicket of thorny COI issues you must address. Join us on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. eastern daylight time, for Conflict of Interest in University Research: Strengthen Your Process and Policies.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this nuts-and-bolts session:

Best practices in COI policies and procedures
Strategies for faculty COI orientation and ongoing education
Critical red flags that should spur a COI review
Defining individual, institutional, and imputed institutional interests
Regulatory compliance tips
Drawing lines between sponsored research and licensing
Keeping tabs on faculty consulting agreements
Conducting reviews and enforcing policies without alienating researchers
Internal review practices that stand up to external scrutiny
COI case studies - the good, the bad, and the really ugly
Blueprint for effectively handling violations
Clarifying common “gray areas”
and much more!

CLICK HERE for complete details or to register. Or to see our entire schedule of upcoming events, CLICK HERE.

The iBridge Network, Inteum join forces

Steve Lewis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:11:32 +0000

The iBridge Network, a program of the not-for-profit Kauffman Innovation Network, Inc., has launched a collaboration with Inteum Company, LLC, to interface Inteum C/S software to the iBridge online community, enabling universities and research institutions to better promote their IP portfolios. The interface will allow iBridge members who use Inteum C/S to seamlessly share their research and innovations with the iBridge Network community. “Our collaboration with Inteum illustrates our dedication to transforming today’s ideas and discoveries into tomorrow’s research, products and services,” says Lesa Mitchell, director of the iBridge Network. “Our university members have expressed a strong desire for this capability, and we’re more than happy to meet that demand.” Inteum C/S is an information management system for IP management and technology transfer offices. Licensees include universities, research institutions, government agencies and corporations. Technologies submitted from Inteum’s customers can now be found on the iBridge Network’s web site, www.iBridgeNetwork.org. “With this initiative, more than 300 Inteum C/S licensees around the world will now be able to share their innovations with the iBridge community with a simple click of their mouse,” states Rob Sloman, CEO of Inteum Company, LLC. The iBridge Network includes 81 organizations together representing more than 6,200 innovations. It includes search capabilities and personalized services such as the iBNewsfeed, which notifies users of new developments tailored to their interests. Five of the top six and 15 of the top 25 research universities in the United States utilize the iBridge Network, according to the organization. “With more than 130 of our innovations already on the iBridge Network, we recognize the benefits of the collaboration and access that it delivers,” says Steve O’Neil, Institute Administrator at the University of Arizona. “Now that the Network is interfaced with Inteum C/S, it will be even easier for us to upload, share and publicize our innovations.”

Go to: Examiner.com

Faculty a critical part of IP assessment and triage

Steve Lewis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:09:45 +0000

When talk turns to IP assessment and triage, it often focuses strictly on marketplace factors such as value propositions, market trends, and competition. But several tech transfer experts assert that you can’t forget the human element — particularly the inventor. “Technology transfer is about relationships . . . period,” says Chad Hardaway, MBA, JD, director of the IP office at the University of South Carolina. “We do not license technologies alone; we license people.” Adds Rick Silva, PhD, TTO director at the University of Colorado Denver, “we treat our faculty members like partners. We put the onus on them to describe what the technology is, articulate the patent class, and ‘tee it up’ for our attorney.” The University of Manitoba’s tech transfer director, Garold G. Breit, echoes his colleagues’ view. “We use our IDF’s (initial disclosure forms) to open up and enrich a dialogue with the faculty,” he says. “We want to be inclusive, not exclusive.”

Breit says one of the keys to an improved assessment and triage process at Manitoba has been “a new, closer relationship” with the faculty he’s cultivated since assuming his position several years ago. “We count 13 constituencies, and two of them are groups of faculty members,” he notes. “One is inventors who previously worked with the TTO, the other is new inventors.” These experts all agree on one other key approach to assessment and triage, which no doubt helps to further strengthen relationships with faculty: The overriding goal is to keep as much technology alive as possible. “When we look at a new case we try to find a way to make it work,” says Silva. “If there is no fatal flaw we will file a provisional to buy a year, and then start putting together a roadmap.” Hardaway agrees. “We are not looking for ways to say no,” he says.

At South Carolina, faculty members are also the focus of an important part of the assessment and triage process Hardaway refers to as “soft triage,” which encompasses factors “that may not be so obvious.” The major elements of soft triage, he says, are as follows:

Focus on the PI: Consider initial impressions, tenure, past corporate affiliations, past accomplishments. Would you personally fund the PI?
Focus on those who know the PI best: Solicit opinions from the VP of Research, Dean, Chair, grad students, collaborators.
Focus on the support environment for the PI: Examine current grant support, collaborator network, resources, and the PI’s ‘can-do’ attitude.

A detailed article on the faculty role in assessment and triage appears in the June 2009 issue of Intellectual Property Marketing Advisor. For subscription information, including a 60% discount for E-News readers this week only, CLICK HERE.

A little recognition goes a long way in start-up development

Steve Lewis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:05:14 +0000

Invention may be its own reward, but it never hurts to let start-ups know they’re appreciated. That’s just what the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) has accomplished for nine years running with its Maryland Incubator of the Year Awards, the most recent of which were handed out last week. Startups developing technologies ranging from stroke rehabilitation devices to handheld endoscopic imaging systems were honored at the awards ceremony, sponsored by DBED along with the Maryland Technology Development Corp. (Tedco), RSM McGladrey, and Saul Ewing LLP. Winning companies and the incubators that support them are chosen by a panel of venture capitalists and government and business leaders. Criteria include technology or product development; proprietary intellectual property; increase in employee numbers; growth in revenue or earnings; engagement of significant customers and strategic partners; receipt of awards or grants; attraction of outside investors; innovation; self-sufficiency; impact on the region; and use of the incubator’s services.

Winners are chosen in several specific technology categories. This year’s honorees and their respective incubators are:

Life Science Company of the Year: Envisionier Medical Technologies, Rockville Innovation Center, developed and markets the endogo, a palm-held endoscopic imaging system.
Information Technology Company of the Year: Oculis Labs, NeoTech in Columbia, creates software to protect data privacy designed to be more effective, more efficient and less expensive than current systems.
Technology Service Company of the Year: Lurn Inc., Technology Advancement Program, University of Maryland, College Park, provides online training courses and live events on a variety of online marketing topics, online communities and publications for internet marketers and e-learning technology platforms for educators of business and marketing professionals.
New Incubator Company of the Year: Gliknik Inc., UMB BioPark BioInnovation Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, develops immune modulators to boost the body’s immune response to tumor antigens.
Technology Transfer Company of the Year: Encore Path, Emerging Technology Center, Baltimore, develops stroke rehabilitation technologies and recently introduced the Tailwind arm rehabilitation device for stroke survivors.
Homeland Security Company of the Year: WGS Systems, Frederick Innovative Technology Center, provides defense and homeland security services.
Graduate Company of the Year: A&G Pharmaceutical of Columbia, graduate of the Emerging Technology Center, Baltimore, creates and develops monoclonal antibodies to cancer-specific targets as a basis for novel therapeutic and diagnostic products.

Go to: The Gazette

Social media changing the rules of brand engagement

Steve Lewis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:02:07 +0000

Social media is radically changing the brand landscape, says Paul Worthington, head of strategy for Wolff Olins in New York. This means strategies will have to shift from posturing to purpose, from control to influence, and from over-protection to generosity, he contends. “In the Wild West of social media, over-protection would seem to be a natural response when faced with loss of control over the conversation, and indeed of the firm’s intellectual property, and yet this is almost certainly the wrong response,” says Worthington. “Those brands that take the counter-intuitive path of celebrating their customers (even when they are infringing IP) and of sharing more of themselves (even if that means giving away more of their IP) will be the ones who will win.” Though the context of Worthington’s comments apply more to consumer brands than universities, the shift in strategy is nonetheless worth noting for IP marketing professionals of all stripes. Here is his formula for generosity:

1. Celebrate your customers

People talk a lot about how social media humanizes brands for their customers, but another reality is that it needs to humanize customers for the brand, says Worthington. “When customers, through their advocacy, choose to re-interpret a brand, you need to carefully consider your response,” he says. “Recently we’ve seen two differing approaches to exactly this — Snickers, [which] shut down the unofficial choose-your-slogan Snickers website, versus Burger King, who invited their unofficial Tweeter to come blog from the opening of the BK Lounge.” It is this difference in approach, he says, that shows generosity in action. “Increasingly it is exactly this network of influence that matters — where you encourage, and to a certain degree shape the reinterpretation of your brand, in return for greater influence than you’d have by taking a more overprotective view of your brand as a fixed ‘asset,’” he explains.

2. Share more of yourself

With social media, the cost of media has in effect been eliminated. This elimination of cost means that brands can now share much more of themselves, of their story, than ever before. Now brands have the opportunity to create rich stories backed up by sharable assets, which they can celebrate in ways large and small. “For those consumers who are the most interested in you, and the most influential with others, the continual release of new stories, snippets and content are hugely interesting and highly valuable,” says Worthington. “Trent Reznor [of the popular rock band Nine Inch Nails] provides a great example of this in action. He chooses to give away his ambient noodlings — bits and pieces of tracks and songs that will never become part of a commercial release. The cost to him is zero; the value to a fan of his music is huge.

“This kind of generosity holds little risk and plenty of upside, says Worthington. “The things a brand is being generous with — a simple endorsement, insider information, invites to events — add little or no additional cost. The benefits — a more engaged consumer base, positive influencers and improved goodwill — are all value additive.”

Go to: Mashable

Multi-media bundles focus on four key tech transfer challenges

David Schwartz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:58:55 +0000

Technology Transfer Tactics is now offering affordable, topic-specific multi-media bundles covering four of the most critical challenges facing tech transfer professionals. Choose one or more of these convenient packages filled with case studies, best practices, expert guidance, and how-to strategies. Each bundle combines a Tech Transfer Library report and an audioconference CD, offering an inexpensive way to focus in on key topics of interest. Click on the titles below for complete information:

IP MARKETING STRATEGIES AND TACTICS - Find proven strategies that will help you market your IP more effectively to corporations and investors and bring in more patent-worthy research.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT, EFFICIENCY, AND STAFFING STRATEGIES - Implement proven program management strategies that will boost the overall performance of your staff and your TTO.
FACULTY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION - Discover education and outreach strategies that will enhance your relationships with researchers and increase the flow of innovations to your program.
EARLY STAGE FUNDING STRATEGIES - Tap into a wealth of creative gap funding ideas and get the dollars you need to move promising technologies out of the lab and on a path to the commercial market.

ProspectIP secures licenses, financing

Steve Lewis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:46:57 +0000

ProspectIP, an initiative of De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester, England, designed to commercialize novel business ideas and inventions, has secured its first two licensing agreements and attracted an additional £400,000 in funding. DMU set up ProspectIP following a £2 million pilot funding award from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in 2006. The project has already resulted in the launch of new products under direct contracts with entrepreneurs. Now ProspectIP has agreed to licensing deals for two inventors and their products — a device that aims to prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and a safety opener for glass vials. The university has also secured £400,000 from the European Regional Development Fund to help support the scheme for the next two and a half years. The licensing deals for both products have been struck with British company Wallace Cameron, Ltd. Based in Wishaw near Glasgow, the company provides first aid solutions for the travel, home and leisure industries.

DMU experts created a commercialization strategy for each product, working with the inventors on issues such as IP, prototyping, and market analysis before identifying and negotiating with the best licensing partner. Under the agreements, Wallace Cameron has exclusive rights to manufacture, distribute and sell the two products worldwide. The inventors will receive royalties on sales of the products. Both inventions are expected to be on sale in late 2009. “We are delighted to secure license agreements for these inventors,” says Derek Palmer, head of ProspectIP. “Wallace Cameron is the ideal partner, with the contacts and experience to help these products reach their full potential.”

“Our product design division is delighted to work in conjunction with DMU and both inventors,” adds Giovanni Benedetti, Group Chairman of Benedetti International, Ltd., the holding company of Wallace Cameron. “The combination of DMU, the resource facilities of Benedetti International, shared product knowledge, innovative design and Wallace Cameron’s network of sales and marketing resource will lead to a successful commercial launch of these new products.”

Go to: Prospect IP

Three high-value distance learning events for IP professionals

David Schwartz — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:45:36 +0000

We’ve got three timely, high-value distance learning events lined up over the next month. Click on any of the titles below for complete details or to register, and Click here to see our schedule through the first quarter of 2010 — and save with our custom Distance Learning Subscription program.

Time Saving Tactics for Technology Transfer Professionals: Achieve Success While Doing More with Less - June 25, 2009 ~ 1:00-2:30 pm EDT
IP Bundling: Establish Effective Partnerships to Increase the Value of Your Innovations - July 9, 2009 1:00-2:30 pm EDT
Conflict of Interest in University Research: Strengthen Your Process and Policies - July 22, 2009 1:00-2:30 pm EDT

Social media users beware: False ‘tweeters’ could harm your image

Steve Lewis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:39:43 +0000

“As exhilarating as social networking tools like Twitter can be, they also raise a variety of legal issues concerning the right of publicity,” says IP attorney Jonathan Faber. An Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis professor, Faber is also founder and CEO of Luminary Group, a licensing and IP management company that represents the IP estates of late celebrities such as Buddy Holly and Joe DiMaggio, and rock stars, race car drivers, music publishers, and others.

Faber cites two recent events to prove his point. This week the Indianapolis Colts issued a statement on www.Colts.com that a Twitter user posing as Peyton Manning was not the ‘real’ Peyton. Similarly, St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa filed a lawsuit against Twitter for unauthorized and offensive content that was posted in his name. La Russa’s suit was filed in San Francisco in May. It claims that an unauthorized tweeter used his name to make light of drunken driving and two Cardinals pitchers who died, which damaged La Russa’s reputation and caused emotional distress. The suit also claims that someone created a false account in La Russa’s name and posted “tweets” that appear to have come from La Russa.

“In addition to other potential legal issues like fraud and defamation, such activity also could drive attention and traffic to the fake site, creating various possible benefits to the impostor,” Faber say. “Historically, user-driven websites have enjoyed a certain safe-harbor when users post content that violates some law. But it is conceivable that certain sites are so susceptible to abuse that those safe-harbors might be reduced, and an affirmative duty to regulate content and prevent infringements would apply.” Faber teaches what is said to be the nation’s first law school course dedicated entirely to the right of publicity. He is also creator of the right of publicity Internet resource, www.RightOfPublicity.com.

Go to: Claims Journal

UW system displays ‘Posters in the Rotunda’

Steve Lewis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:36:43 +0000

Universities target many different audiences as they seek to spread the word about their research — and for the University of Wisconsin System, that includes state senators and representatives. That’s exactly who UW was targeting recently with their sixth annual “Posters in the Rotunda” event. The program, held in the rotunda of the state Capitol building, drew several hundred attendees as more than 80 posters depicting undergraduate research at the 13 universities in the system were on display. “From our perspective, our motivation is to have an opportunity to educate and inform the legislature and staff members about the nature of the undergraduate research activities at the comprehensive campuses,” says Timothy Lyden, PhD, associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. “There is a real need for better understanding throughout the state about the level of research being conducted. These are not just classroom exercises; I think our research is internationally competitive — and that needs to be communicated to people who are in position to set policy for the state.”

“Our goal is to raise awareness of the work of our students and faculty, and to seek continued support for the university and undergraduate research,” adds Kris Andrews, the university system’s assistant VP for federal relations. The event, says Andrews, is patterned after a national program developed by the Council on Undergraduate Research in Washington, DC. “They have undergraduates from across the nation go to Capitol Hill for their ‘Posters on the Hill’ event,” she notes. “Our system’s grants administrators got together and decided it was something we should do at the state Capitol in Madison.” The event gave presenters the opportunity to spotlight their research and to change perceptions. For example, Lyden presented a poster on behalf of one of his students. “His state representative showed up to see the poster, and in the course of our conversation the representative asked follow-up questions [implying] that we are not able to do the technical work they can do at UW-Madison,” Lyden relates. “I told him, ‘Come with me,’ and we walked around the wall to look at the poster of another student; the nature of the work we’re doing was exactly comparable to the work being done at Madison.” Apparently Lyden made the most of what he calls “an amazing learning opportunity,” because the representative stayed for another 20 minutes. A detailed article on “Posters in the Rotunda” appears in the June 2009 issue of Intellectual Property Marketing Advisor. For subscription information, CLICK HERE.

Book marketers may not want to model the music industry

Steve Lewis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:34:19 +0000

Mitch Joel, president of Twist Image, an award-winning digital marketing and communications agency, warns individuals and organizations seeking to market their books that they might not want to look to the music industry as a model for marketing in the digital age. “The thing is this: Even if people steal music, they’re still buying tickets to the show, T-shirts, ringtones and more, but when it comes to a book, that’s all the author has (in most cases),” Joel explains. He acknowledges that some authors also have speaking engagements, audio programs, and additional products, but for the most part the real money comes from selling books. “Maybe authors need to do the opposite of what the music industry is doing,” he suggests. “In the music industry, it seems like most artists have given up on really trying to sell the music, and acknowledge that their future income will come from concerts and merchandise. In the case of books, maybe the idea is to give everything else away, but encourage people to buy the book.”

Authors and publishers need to create value and build their readership by leveraging whatever relevant online social channels work within to an overall marketing strategy, Joel continues. So, for example, when it comes to blogging and Twitter, “authors need to be building up readership and interest long before their book ever hits the store shelves. In providing this value (and that should also include taking part in other relevant spaces, contributing to some mass media publications and being active - both offline and online - in the niche communities) and by continuing to give content and value abundantly (think a free PDF document, etc…), they need to literally (and virtually) flood the market with free, great insight and, at the same time, let people know (in a non-pushy) way that there is a lot more where that came from in the book.”

In short, says Joel, authors “need to be pushing out so much great stuff that not getting the book would be a terrible mistake for all of those who are following, listening and engaged. On top of that, their online and offline engagement has to be sincere, real and powerful; otherwise people won’t care.”

Go to: Twist Image

UK’s AURIL signs MoU with IP Marketing E-News publisher for distribution of continuing professional development resources

Steve Lewis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:32:26 +0000

The Association for University Research and Industry Links (AURIL), Europe’s largest organization for knowledge transfer professionals, has signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding with BizWorld, the Florida-based publisher of IP Marketing E-News and many other tech transfer resources, including the subscription newsletter Technology Transfer Tactics (TTT). The agreement highlights AURIL’s recognition that BizWorld’s materials (newsletters, audioconferences, books) “can have educational value to knowledge transfer professionals,” and provides a mechanism for AURIL members to obtain these resources at discounted prices. “We feel this formal arrangement with TTT will provide a wider range of practical, easily-accessible knowledge transfer information for our members,” said Dr. Phillip Graham, AURIL’s executive director. “It will also provide them financial savings in today’s stressed economy,” he added.

David Schwartz, TTT’s CEO, echoed the MoU in saying, “Recognizing that AURIL is one of the world’s leading organizations for knowledge transfer professionals, we’re delighted to make these information products available to AURIL members at a significant cost savings.” Both groups will cooperate in publicizing this new arrangement to AURIL members. Originally established in the 1980s, AURIL has over 1,600 members, located primarily in the UK and Ireland, and is acknowledged as the largest knowledge transfer association for practitioners in organizations engaged in knowledge transfer. For further information, go to: www.AURIL.org.uk and www.technologytransfertactics.com.

Should we really ‘Ignore Everybody’?

Steve Lewis — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:28:37 +0000

David Armano, vice president of experience design at Critical Mass, waxes enthusiastic about a new book by Hugh Macleod, “Ignore Everybody” (Gapingvoid), on the site “Marketing & Strategy Innovation Blog.” When it comes to technology development and marketing, “the title says it all,” claims Armano. “You have to decide if what you believe in is good enough to fight for, to pursue, to risk everything for. Only you can decide this.”

The book, Armano continues, includes dozens of quotations that “will make you think [and] question your own experiences — if you let them.” He cites a few phrases from the book that he claims will “stop you in your tracks”:

“Good ideas come with a heavy burden; which is why so few people execute them. Few people can handle it.”
“The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will.”
“The first rule of business is never sell something you love. Otherwise you may as well be selling your children”
“Stop worrying about the technology. Start worrying about the people who trust you.”
“No one person can be good at everything. The really good artists, the really successful entrepreneurs, figure out how to circumvent their limitations.”

“There are a lot of business books out there right now telling you how to blog, tweet, build communities and personal brands,” notes Armano. “Here’s my advice to you — go against the grain and pick up this little treasure first. You’ll be glad you did.”

Go to:  Logic + Emotion

IP valuation guide coming soon, pre-publication discount ending soon

David Schwartz — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:24:21 +0000

The Guide to Valuing Intellectual Property is now in production and will soon be released. This is the last opportunity to reserve your copy and have it shipped to you as soon as it comes off the presses — plus save $50 with this pre-publication offer. If you’re in the trenches of IP valuation, the all-new, 127-page guide is a must-have resource. Authored by Mike Pellegrino, one of the world’s leading experts in IP valuation, it will provide you with practical guidance on performing due diligence, conducting legal analyses, and strengthening your IP to enhance its value. You’ll discover actual valuation case studies as well as down-to-earth, step-by-step solutions to the myriad problems that arise in the valuation process. You’ll also find advanced tools that will help you navigate common landmines and arrive at a supportable, optimum valuation for your valuable innovations. This is not your typical IP valuation text. It goes far beyond the basics of IP valuation, theoretical models, or accounting gimmickry. And you won’t find rehashed topics already covered thoroughly in other resources. This guide provides you with a deeper, more practical analysis that the critical task of IP valuation demands. For complete information or to order, and qualify for the $50-off pre-publication discount, CLICK HERE.

Joint venture your way to start-up success

Steve Lewis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:56:36 +0000

Your start-up will probably not succeed if you decide to go it alone when it comes to marketing, asserts Vickie Jimenez, a personal and business development expert with a joint venture background. “If you are a small, medium or large business and are still only using a ‘competition marketing model,’ your business will probably die within five years because of the lack of connections and clients,” says Jimenez. “Now, former competitive businesses are teaming up and becoming colleagues.” In a joint venture model, Jimenez explains, you are teaming up with a business, group or person in an alliance for the purpose of creating or expanding a market or presence in the market place. You can use a JV to influence or create credibility through an association with others. “This helps your business lower risk, lower marketing costs, creates long-term alliances, provides better client service, creates massive wealth faster and helps stabilize your business through all economic weather,” she asserts. Jimenez says there are three reasons learning to do joint ventures will help grow your business:

Build your global business directory. Connections and alliances are key in the new business economy. If you are not utilizing them you are taking the ‘no road’ or slow road to business success, says Jimenez. Joint ventures are helping companies of all sizes in emerging markets around the world connect and acquire critical new technology, or perhaps new intellectual property or resources that can be hard to obtain any other way. Even if a large company has plenty of cash, joint ventures are the easiest way for them to acquire these new products, expertise and new territories.

Your network = your net worth. Every business exec understands this concept, says Jimenez, but the equation has changed. It’s not just your client network that is important to maintaining long-term growth and stability in your business. When you understand the joint venture formula, you will understand the power and profit potential of having a business network, too. It is a way for you to grow a stable, economically sound business for the long term.

Optimizing the referral market. We all know the strongest form of credibility is a client testimonial. Yet, when you begin to implement the joint venture business strategy you can grow your business overnight by utilizing thousands of referrals now. Gone are the days of someone telling two friends, who tell two friends, who tell two friends. With the Internet, blogging, and social networking, one person tells a network of a thousand people who tells another network of a thousand people. This can transform your business overnight when you learn to how use this new referral market properly.

Jimenez recommends the site http://privatejvclub.info for more on how to benefit from joint venture marketing.

Go to: Kievgid

Time Saving Tactics for Technology Transfer Professionals coming June 25th

David Schwartz — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:54:52 +0000

If there’s one thing in short supply among tech transfer professionals, it’s TIME. It’s a fact of life in virtually every TTO — more work than minutes in the day to accomplish what you’d like to, too many balls in the air, too few resources, and too few days when you actually feel as though you spent your hours adding value and completing meaningful work. If your TTO is like most, rather than seeking deals and partnerships, you’re spending too much of your time dealing with last minute disclosures, filing provisionals, processing MTAs, responding to researcher complaints and queries, and other minutiae that must get done, but which leaves precious little time for your REAL JOB. And with recent budget cuts experienced by many offices, it’s only gotten worse. To help you overcome this all-too-common challenge, our Distance Learning Division has secured two industry experts — Jeff Fearn, PhD from the Cornell Center for Technology Enterprise and Commercialization and David McFeeters-Krone of Intellectual Assets Corporation — to help you clear a path toward a more effective, efficient TTO by making better use of your limited time and gaining more hours to devote to revenue-generating activity. For complete details and to register for this practical, how-to session — scheduled for June 25th at 1:00 p.m. EDT — CLICK HERE.

Coming next month:

Four steps to a successful product launch

Steve Lewis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:51:57 +0000

OK, so you’ve successfully developed a working prototype; now comes the real challenge: How to introduce your product. Many potentially successful new products don’t make it out of the lab, while others make it to market but fail to meet expectations, notes Neil Baron, a veteran B2B technology marketing executive. Traditionally, marketing has focused on executing marketing communications programs or providing ‘uber’ technical sales support, he notes, but those approach will no longer work. “To succeed in the innovation economy, marketing must assume a new role: that of quarterback for new product launches,” he asserts. Baron suggests that marketing lead the organization through the following customer-focused four-step process, which will significantly increase the chances for a successful new product introduction:

1. Collect relevant data from lead users. Just because a product works in the lab doesn’t mean that it will succeed in the marketplace. Beta sites lay the foundation for a successful product. Beta site selection criteria include interest in being a first mover; willingness to collaborate; willingness to serve as a public advocate; and strong industry reputation. Some companies are so excited to find a beta site that they don’t finish the deal, and put a beta site agreement in place. Other companies are afraid that if they ask for a beta agreement, the customer will walk away. It is at this point that marketing must inject the organization with enough confidence in the potential value of the product to require a signed beta agreement. Don’t be afraid to act from a position of strength. Without a beta agreement to define time lines, identify roles, and set expectations, these early engagements can wander aimlessly. The beta agreement should require the customer to publicize their results.

2. Develop product messages using lead user insights. As you sort through the data from the beta sites, it is important to determine which messages will resonate with the market. If you are asking customers to pay $50,000 for a product, will they receive significantly more than that in benefits? Effective messages go through a three-step filtering process: Will the message address what the customer values most? Will the message resonate with the rest of the market? Can the message highlight quantifiable results?

3. Create sales tools that support the customers’ buying process. Whatever your chosen marketing channel, it’s critical to empower the sales organization with tools they can use to qualify opportunities and build credibility. The foundation to develop effective sales tools is an analysis of the buying process (not the selling cycle). Marketing should lead this, and then develop sales tools aligned to each step in the purchase process. For complex B2B sales, marketing (with the help of finance and other groups) should create a return on investment calculator.

4. Turn lead users into advocates. To build awareness for a new product, partner with your lead users to launch a multi-channel promotional campaign. After all, this is a key reason why you put the beta agreement in place. The key is to understand what is in it for the lead users’ companies and for their personal careers.

Go to: Mass High Tech Business News

Trudeau Institute seeks outside help for research commercialization

Steve Lewis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:50:07 +0000

The Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY, and Health Research Incorporated (HRI) have established a partnership aimed at advancing the commercialization of medical and scientific discoveries made at the institute. Under the exclusive agreement, HRI will provide technology transfer services to Trudeau, including market evaluation, intellectual property evaluation and protection, business development, marketing, licensing, and new venture formation. The arrangement provides Trudeau with access to HRI professional staff and resources both in technology transfer and sponsored research management. HRI brings an extensive network of corporate licensing and business contacts, funding sources, investors, and researchers. Each of Trudeau’s existing and future inventions will be subject to a methodical approach to analyze, protect and license promising technologies. The Trudeau Institute has historically managed these activities internally. “Partnering with HRI will reduce the need for day-to-day technology management and, importantly, will add HRI’s technology transfer expertise,” says Steve Smiley, director of corporate relations and member of Trudeau’s scientific faculty. “This combination will allow our scientists to focus on research, while still managing the strategic decisions in intellectual property and licensing.”

Go to: Bio-Medicine

British TTO ‘tweets’ to spread the word

David Schwartz — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:48:13 +0000

MRC Technology, the tech transfer and commercialization company for the U.K.’s Medical Research Council, has begun using Twitter to increase its tech transfer and translational communications. “We’re still in the early days (the account was opened in February), but we’re now using our Twitter account (http://twitter.com/MRCTechnology) to send feeds to our website (www.mrctechnology.org) and to our Intranet, to keep customers and employees alike informed,” says Jonathan McGee, MRC’s communications and marketing manager, who says the company’s 100 or so followers include Lord Drayson, the U.K. Minister for Science.

Here is a sampling of the kinds of things MRC is “tweeting”:

#BIO09 stand just left for Bio Atlanta - if you’re attending DM or visit stand 3350 http://tinyurl.com/d4wp7e next to UK pavilion
MRC spinout Heptares (drugs targeting G-protein-coupled receptors) secures GBP21 Million in Series A Fund Raising http://tinyurl.com/c2bz7a
MRCT at 15th Annual Soc. for Biomolecular Sciences in Lille 26/30 April posters: http://tinyurl.com/ccbqqs http://tinyurl.com/dcctd4 #SBS
Leading MRC scientists join in global fight against swine flu at WHO World Influenza Centre http://tinyurl.com/cghdyw
MRC & MRCT announce launch of our Centre for Therapeutics Discovery! Fast track discovery & development of novel drugs http://tiny.cc/Wd8ee

McGee says he decided to “harness the power of Twitter” because he started seeing it being used more and more, and even saw some companies in MRC’s space using it, including pharma firms. “As with any new technology we have to be a bit cautious, but we thought it would be worth it to dip our toe in and get in at the start — just in case,” he comments. “Within months the press over here has taken hold of it and so many people have joined, that it’s been very useful.” McGee is seeking to build MRC’s Twitter following by promoting it in some of its other marketing vehicles. “We haven’t fully exploited it yet, but a lot our BIO promotions, for example, [had] our Twitter address in them to try to get more people interested in following us,” he says. “It’s a nice, easy way to get messages out to people who are interested in what we do.” MRC’s following is slowly building. “When we put up a news item, some people are re-tweeting with a few other posts,” he notes. A detailed article on MRC’s Twitter experience appears in the June 2009 issue of Intellectual Property Marketing Advisor. For subscription information, CLICK HERE.

Student leader promotes entrepreneurship for new grads

Steve Lewis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:44:36 +0000

With a poor economy making it tough for even the most talented graduates to market themselves to corporations, a New Zealand student leader is leading an effort to help new grads start up their own businesses. Auckland University of Technology student president Andre D’Cruz has set up a student-driven organization called Goldmines to foster entrepreneurship within the university.

“It’s going to be really difficult for [graduates] to find jobs this year and next year … and the idea is that if we foster entrepreneurship enough, then they will be able to make money their own way by growing a business. Because even in a recession, there is opportunity to grow businesses,” says D’Cruz. “And once the economy gets better they can do really well for themselves.” D’Cruz set up Goldmines when he realized students had plenty of business ideas but did not know what was required to make them commercially viable. “Somebody’s got to take the initiative to solve the issue,” he notes.

Go to: The New Zealand Herald

Technology boosts marketing power of e-mails

Steve Lewis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:11:11 +0000

Tel Aviv-based Glooq.com is turning e-mail into a more powerful way for businesses to spur new growth by allowing users to easily embed high-quality marketing banners into their e-mails. Having successfully wooed over 500 European adapters, including Audi, McCann Ericson, ReMax, Konica Minolta, Motorola, and DHL, which have begun using the low-cost service to turn their monthly corporate e-mails into mini-billboards, the company is now moving into the U.S. market. “Difficult economic times force everyone from corporate giants like McCann to mom-and-pop stores to find innovative and cost effective ways to advertise,” says Glooq CEO Elad Schneor. “Just think how many e-mails you send every month — hundreds, if not thousands. Glooq makes sure that all this valuable e-mail marketing space doesn’t lie fallow but, on the contrary, gets used to promote services and products with as little cost and as much financial gain as possible.”

McCann Ericson Belgium’s Head of Digital, Geoff Michiels says, “McCann Digital is always at the forefront of technology for its clients, and Glooq allows us to use our clients’ budgets to the maximum while reaching excellent marketing results.” Glooq lets users install a lean client which interfaces with Microsoft Outlook to manage an unlimited number of animated banners. In addition to the banners, Glooq provides sophisticated ad campaign management features such as ad shuffling and detailed statistics analytics for users to measure and improve the effectiveness of their e-mail ads.

Go to: PR Web

Alumni can donate much more than money

Steve Lewis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:07:43 +0000

When you hear the word “alumni” in tech transfer circles, the next word that often comes to mind is “donation.” But tech transfer leaders at Mississippi State University believe such an approach can be short-sighted when it comes to the kinds of help they need to move their technologies forward — especially their start-ups. “Alumni are trying to figure out how to get back in [to university life],” notes Chase Kasper, MBA, licensing associate at MSU. “My perception is there have to be open lines of communications with external affairs or your respective foundation so there is not any confusion as to what the TTO is pursuing; we are not necessarily looking for an investment of money.” In recent events involving alumni, he continues, “we’ve made it clear we’re not just looking for capital infusion, but for knowledge capital. We’re in the process of building some bridges in terms of matching technologies with appropriate industry experiences; we’re in the ‘baby steps’ stage of that approach right now.”

One of those ‘baby steps,’ says Kasper, was taken during the recent ‘Super Bulldog Weekend’ held on campus, a 25-year-old tradition he likens to “a spring homecoming for alumni.” During that weekend, a kickoff meeting was held for the development of the MSU Entrepreneurship Center, which will promote and assist MSU start-ups. Discussions of money were not entirely absent from the Entrepreneur Center Forum, says Kasper. “One of their goals is to start an angel fund through a foundation associated with the university within nine months,” he notes. However, he adds, “the word went out to faculty and staff, as well as to alumni, that we were seeking not only money, but valuable skill sets.” The forum included “high-level presentations’ from five university start-ups. “The audience, which had various members of the university, local government, and alumni, were given survey cards and asked how they would you like to participate,” says Kasper. “One of the things we’re looking for, for example, is alumni with experience who are willing to mentor a start-up.” Kasper says he has already seen some alumni come forward and offer their services. “The vice president of research has an external advisory committee, and one of the gentlemen who was originally on the committee and had recently gone off is mentoring one of our start-ups — gratis,” he reports. The generous alum has also offered to take on economic and industry analysis for potential start-ups, “to see if there is a critical mass to merit getting further into the technologies.” The alumnus continues to work as an unpaid consultant. “We’ve left it open, however, so if a company wants to have a relationship with him downstream, that could happen,” says Kasper. A detailed article on this approach to alumni relations appears in the June 2009 issue of Intellectual Property Marketing Advisor. For subscription information, CLICK HERE.

Sneak peak and early bird discounts on three upcoming distance learning events

David Schwartz — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:05:21 +0000

Our Distance Learning Division has announced three dynamic audioconference events, each of which is now offering early-bird registration for $50 off the regular attendance fee. For even bigger savings, sign up for all three (or more!) using our Distance Learning Subscription Program.

Here’s the line-up. Click on each link for further detail or to enroll:

June 25: Time Saving Tactics for Technology Transfer Professionals: Achieve Success While Doing More with Less, featuring highly regarded consultant David McFeeters-Krone.

July 9: IP Bundling: Establish Effective Partnerships to Increase the Value of Your Innovations, featuring Andrew R.O. Watson, PhD, licensing associate at Oregon Health & Science University, formerly technology development officer for Scripps Research Institute.

July 23: Conflict of Interest in University Research: Strengthen Your Process and Policies, featuring Anne C. Di Sante, MBA, TTO director at Wayne State University.

OSU offers ‘marketing slick’ template for inventors

Steve Lewis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:58:38 +0000

TTO leaders agree that inventors are critical to the success of IP marketing, but they also recognize that most faculty are not trained marketers — in many cases the farthest thing from it. The Ohio State University Office of Technology Licensing & Commercialization is seeking to address this challenge in part by providing faculty members with detailed guidance on crafting a critical marketing piece — the marketing slick. In the ‘For Inventors’ section of the TTO home page is a link to “How to Write a Marketing Slick.” On that page is a template with the following components:

Marketing title
Summary
Market Potential
Inventor(s)
Intellectual Property Status
Contact Information
Reference #(s)

Each category has a space to fill in, several of which include the note “TLC will complete this portion.” However, it is up to the inventor to complete the Summary, ‘Main Advantages,’ and ‘Market Potential’ sections. In addition to descriptive language that offers general guidelines and marketing tips, there is also specific, practical advice for the inventor. For example, in the ‘Main Advantages’ section is the following: “Quantitative data to describe your advantages are much more powerful, i.e. ‘45% faster chemical reaction’ is much better than ‘chemical reaction is faster.’

Go to: The Ohio State Universtiy

Marketer says tool will enhance Twitter

Steve Lewis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:56:49 +0000

Jens P. Berget, who is assisting with marketing strategy for a Norwegian college — including website and Intranet development — has just started using a new software called Tweet Adder, because “I strongly believe it will make my Twitter marketing efforts even more powerful.” What does he expect to get for his $99 single-user license? “The first screen I saw when I logged in was ‘who to follow,’” he notes. “It helps you find who to follow, and it adds them to your database inside Tweet Adder.” The software, he explains, enables him to find people by using keywords such as ‘marketing.’ “At the moment, just by using Tweet Adder for a few hours, I’ve got more than 10,000 people to follow in my database,” he says. He has specified to follow 50 people at a time, because “I don’t want to be spamming Twitter and I consider 50 at a time to be more than enough (50 is the default).”

At the moment, he has 433 people who are following him, but who he is not following. “With Tweet Adder, I can choose to follow them back, and the default setting is also at 50 people at a time,” he notes. The software also allows him to balance his followers and ‘followees.’ “I am using the default settings when it comes to the ratio of [followers to followees],” he explains. “I will stop following people when the ratio is 1.5 for following to followers. This means that if I am following 150 people, I need at least 100 followers — although I will be struggling to keep it closer to a 1 to 1 ratio. I believe that having a 1 to 1 ratio will get me even more followers, because people seem to be more impressed with this ratio.”

Go to:
slymarketing.com (article 1) and slymarketing.com (article 2)

Royalty rate benchmarks and deal terms detailed in three resources

David Schwartz — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:53:28 +0000

Three new royalty rate resources, published by our Intellectual Property Research Associates and authored by expert Russell Parr, report detailed deal terms and royalty rates from transactions culled through years of painstaking research.

Click on the titles below for more detailed information or to order:

Royalty Rates for Technology, 4th Edition reports more royalty rates, license fees and milestone payments than any other publication. It includes terms for technology license agreements for: aeronautics, agriculture, automotive, chemistry, communications, computer hardware, computer software, construction equipment, electrical equipment, electronics, entertainment, food, franchises, glass, household products, Internet, mechanical devices, medical devices, photography, semiconductors, sports, steel, toys, and waste management.

Royalty Rates for Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology, 6th Edition reports deal terms for an incredible range of compounds, manufacturing techniques, therapies and other pharmaceutical and biotechnology patented inventions. Just some of the technology categories covered include attention deficit disorder, Alzheimer’s detection, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, arthritis, bone marrow production, cancer, cardiovascular, cartilage regeneration, chromosome analysis, cold remedies, contraception, cystic fibrosis, dermatology, diabetes, drug delivery, gene alteration, hepatitis, HIV, humanized antibodies, monoclonal antibodies, neurological, pain therapy, personal care, psychotherapy, research processes, sleep therapy, stem cells, transdermal drug delivery, and vaccines. The parties to each transaction are identified, the technology is described and all of the financial terms available are reported including royalty rates, license fees and milestone payments. This new edition also presents seven financially based models for pricing and valuing biotech and pharmaceutical technology.

Royalty Rates for Trademarks & Copyrights, 3rd Edition reports royalty rates and transaction values for trademarks and copyrights for the period 1990 through 2004. Industries covered include: airline, apparel, architecture, art, autos, boats, celebrities, communications, corporate names, electronics, food & beverage, franchises, furniture, general merchandise, internet domain names, medical, movies, music, party goods, restaurants & hotels, sports toys, and university names. Also included is a new section describing financial methods for royalty rate development.

Entrepreneurship minor offered to PhD candidates

Steve Lewis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:49:16 +0000

PhD candidate researchers at the University of Arizona are now able to gain knowledge on how best to market their technologies at the same time they are developing them. Previously, the one-year McGuire Entrepreneurship Program has been open to all UA students, and about 100 of them are enrolled in the program each year. But doctoral students have usually not been able to take advantage of the program. The university hopes this will change with the introduction of a doctoral minor that the school has just introduced. By incorporating it into their curriculum, more doctoral students can access entrepreneurial education as part of a formal program of study.

Most current students in the entrepreneurship classes are either undergraduate business majors, MBA students, or master’s students pursuing scientific or technical degrees, notes Sherry Hoskinson, director of the McGuire Center. The new minor is a response to “considerable demand to advance scientific discovery into application,” she says. “That is where any discovery reaches its ultimate value, be it social, environmental or commercial.” Doctoral students benefit from the entrepreneurship program in several ways, Hoskinson comments. “They can quantify the commercial value of their own cutting edge research, illustrate its environmental or social value, and come to understand the legal framework of business and intellectual property,” she says. The doctoral minor also opens up new funding possibilities through public and private foundations and other agencies, another incentive in getting graduate students into the program.

Go to: UA News