Top of the Great Era

Market Operations for Chapter 1899 Patents

"Own authorization?" Zhou Buqi asked, "How do you say?"

"It's the operating model of a patent company."

Then, Zhou Shaoning briefly explained the mode of patent operation in the United States.

There are mainly two types.

One is the self-licensed model.

It is represented by RPX company, which purchased a large number of patents from outside, but did not authorize them.Whoever wants to use their patents needs to apply to become a member of RPX Corporation.

In fact, it is a membership system.

After paying to become a member of RPX company, you can use all patents of RPX company.Their patents are only authorized to their own members, and non-member users can't even pay.

The most powerful department of this company is the legal team, which finds faults all over the world and initiates lawsuits every day.

The other is the full authorization model.

For example, companies like InterDigital continue to purchase various patents at high prices in the market.After buying the patent, it will start selling to the outside world.

All patents are clearly priced.

In fact, it is a subscription system.

There is no membership limit, as long as you pay and subscribe, all merchants can use it.

Similarly, there must be a super powerful legal department.Once you find out that someone has secretly used your own patent behind your back without subscribing, then wait for a lawsuit!

With the rapid development of the domestic technology industry in recent years, more and more patent lawsuits of this kind have been encountered.These companies are not like Microsoft, Apple, or Google.

If you infringe Microsoft's patents, the super giants often turn a blind eye.

If there is time for a lawsuit, the money has already been earned back.

Even if the lawsuit is won, the patent fee may not be able to afford the lawyer's fee.

Moreover, in order to establish a market in China, these foreign companies have to form good relationships and dare not be too serious about patents and copyrights, adopting a compromise attitude.

However, these patent companies are different.

The main business of this kind of company is the patent business!
They do not engage in research and development, but buy a lot of patents from the market, and then start selling them externally.For such companies, intellectual property is their most important core asset.

When it comes to patent infringement, it is impossible to give in. You have to hunt and chatter all the way, and you will not hesitate to hit the WTO.If a manufacturer succeeds in infringement, subsequent manufacturers will follow up with a series of infringements, and they must be made an example to others.

This type of company has a collective term in China - patent trolls.

Zhou Buqi half-jokingly said: "Laomei's commercial market is really developed, and even patents can play with so many models. Acquiring patents, and then selling them externally, membership and subscription... I think we can create an online Its patented website, just like Netflix, operates a patented streaming media platform! You can buy memberships, you can also buy a single subscription, online payment, Internet toB business."

Zhou Shaoning took it seriously and was taken aback, "The B-side business can't handle streaming media, right?"

"Just saying it casually." Zhou Buqi waved his hand, "The market environment in Europe and the United States is really the best environment for this kind of patent hooligans to survive."

Zhou Shaoning said: "Calling them patent trolls is actually a bit irresponsible. The existence of these patent companies will allow the technology industry to achieve faster development."

"is it?"

"Yes, many companies have developed some patents, but refuse to authorize them to the outside world. Once this is a patent that cannot be avoided in a certain industry, it may cause the technological development of this industry to stagnate. These patent companies have a strong network of relationships. , You can negotiate with some departments, the government and businessmen will put pressure on the patent holders together, buy the patent at a high price, and then license it to the outside world. The price may be a little higher, but at least there is supply.”

Zhou Buqi said: "If it is operated by a professional company, the efficiency will be higher."

"Yes." Zhou Shaoning nodded, "Unifying the operation of patents will also have greater channel advantages. The risk of technology research and development is too great. Many small companies have worked hard to develop a patent and want to license it to some The manufacturers that are needed, but lack of industry channels, can only be rotten in their hands. At this time, this kind of patent operation company can come forward.”

After what he said, Zhou Buqi felt that he had some new understanding of this industry.

That's what happened.

Between technology and the market, there is an insurmountable threshold.

The traditional way of thinking is to coordinate in the enterprise home, left-handed technology, right-handed market, and comprehensively evaluate, so as to transform technological achievements into commodities in the market.

The most typical is the iPhone.

When the first-generation iPhone was unveiled, it simply blinded the world, as if the technology had exploded, it was too shocking.In fact, this mobile phone has no technological innovation at all, it is all old technology.

It's just that there was no Jobs before, and no matter how good the technology is, it will be dusted in the research institute.

However, there are not many such people.

As long as they appear, there is a high probability that they will be famous and famous figures in the world.

More often, it is the wishful thinking of scientists. University professors, researchers, or entrepreneurs of small companies have worked hard to come up with a good set of technologies, but there is no use for them at all.

The research and development is successful, how to promote the technology?
At this time, the role of the patent company is reflected.

For example, the membership-based RPX company has dozens of members around the world, including HTC, Samsung, Sony, ZTE, Huawei, Astar, Microsoft, and Google.

Suppose there is a small company that has developed a new audio-visual patent based on mobile phones, but this small company lacks channels in the market, holds a baby in its arms, but cannot realize it.

"Patent trolls" like RPX can go down to earth like an angel to save them.I bought the patent at a high price from a small company, and then contacted its members, saying that a new audio-visual patent has been collected recently, and those who need it can try it.

With so many mobile phone manufacturers, there will always be a few of them who will try new technologies, and even become the main new technologies and functions of new models, and the market will open.

All parties benefit.

The technological development of the industry has also advanced.

The technological innovation of the United States can lead the world, largely because of the marketing promotion of such "patent trolls".

Big companies like Microsoft and Apple have their main core businesses, and they don’t pay much attention to patent licensing. If they have any technological innovations, they will not work hard to promote them to the world.If the technology industry is doing this, new technologies will not be widely popularized quickly, and technological development will not be so fast.

Technology research and development is a narrow escape, and the next step of technology promotion is another narrow escape.Whoever can control the market can control Thunderbolt in the technology industry.

Zhou Buqi said thoughtfully: "Is there no similar institution in China?"

"No." Zhou Shaoning has a background in technology, and he knows it all too well, "The core of patent operations lies in litigation. There have also been several so-called patent operation companies in China, and they are a bit... how should I put it, suspected of extortion. Those abroad Patent operation companies are called patent hooligans in our industry, and the development of the technology market is far from reaching that stage. There is no officially supported institution in China that can stand up and use litigation to operate patents.”

Zhou Buqi was very troubled and helpless, "The technology industry is a system. Listening to what you said, there are no basic rules and regulations for the technology system in China. If you sue someone for infringement, you will be countersued as blackmail? This is simply right. A fatal blow to the confidence and motivation of technology R&D workers."

Zhou Shaoning said: "Yes, once I talked with someone...it seems to be someone from Telecom. The patent operation business can't develop in China at all, and the appeal is useless. Many patents are in universities, research institutes, and state-owned enterprises. and public institutions. Buying patents from them and then going to market operations, there are too many obstacles here.”

Zhou Buqi nodded, "Yes, these patents are state-owned assets, and the market operation is very troublesome."

With the slowdown of economic growth, the protection of state-owned assets has become more and more stringent.

In recent years, due to the impact of the subprime mortgage crisis and the recent menacing European debt crisis, Lenovo, Haier, TCL and other companies that have undergone management buyouts have once again become the focus of public opinion.

Changhong Group, a veteran state-owned enterprise on the verge of death, has always wanted to transform from a management buyout to a private enterprise and comprehensively promote market-oriented reforms, but it has also been blocked many times.

Now it is not the same as it was back then, no one dares to approve it.

Many people in power would rather not do it than do something wrong.

To operate patents, it is necessary to buy patents from those research institutes, state-owned enterprises, public institutions, and universities, and then operate them in a market-oriented manner to make money from large-scale licensing.

This is very sensitive.

At what price should state-owned assets be sold to private enterprises?

If the price is too high, the private enterprises will not buy it if they think it is not worth it; if the price is low, the private enterprises will be jealous after they make a lot of money, and there will be suspicion of loss of state-owned assets.

In order to avoid disputes, simply do not trade.

It is better to hold it in your hands to prevent the loss of assets, and you cannot let go of it and transfer it to the private sector for market-oriented operations to make money.

In fact, Ziweixing and Asda have not had a deep impression on this aspect, but Bajixing, which is in the drone business, has the deepest impression... It was really difficult in the initial stage, and it was Ma Pingshan who researched it bit by bit from scratch.

In fact, this drone technology has long been concluded in the relevant aerospace research institutes, just like a formula, if it is open to the public, it can be used.

Because there was no such relationship, Ma Pingshan later found several universities on Hong Kong Island and merged the drone team of his previous life in DJI.It also cooperated with the University of Tokyo and obtained a lot of technology authorization from Japan.

Fortunately, Bajixing's drone business has already developed.

"Forget it, it's not our turn to worry about it, and it's useless." Zhou Buqi waved his hand and returned to the topic, "So, Asda wants to join this anti-Google alliance?"

Zhou Shaoning said: "Yes, with a sum of money, together with a group of companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Sony, and Blackberry, we will form a patent operation company and buy the 6000 patent portfolios held by Nortel. This is a self-licensed, At least in the short term, Astar can be regarded as taking the lead in deploying the next generation of 4G mobile phones.”

"Together with the anti-Google alliance, defeat Google and win the patents held by Nortel. Then force Google to acquire Motorola. At that time, Astar will work with Google to carve up Motorola's assets."

When Zhou Buqi said these words, he also felt a little ashamed.

It's so weird!

This kind of shameless thing is really in line with his boss Zhou's style.

Zhou Shaoning was full of confidence in him, and said with a smile: "Yes! I think Larry Page is like a fanboy in front of you, you can handle him!"

Zhou Buqi looked calm, "Okay, I'll take care of it."

(End of this chapter)