Law and Innovation

Fresh and interesting article I recently wrote for the Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice - Oxford Journals: IP Protection For Graphical User Interfaces In The EU, US, And China. Here is the abstract: The article first briefly explains what a graphical user interface is. Then explores the current GUI protection offered in the US, the EU and China. Finally, as a case study, the article analyses the strategy developed by the Apple legal team concerning the Apple Watch. In addition, it describes how, to reach the ‘top (new) apps’ stores, developers and designers willing to launch a new (smartwatch) app are focusing on graphical user interfaces (GUI); and shows that having an intellectual property right for a GUI provides competitive advantage and a strong basis for early-stage funding strategy. Happy reading!  ( Thomas Dubuisson , IP protection for graphical user interfaces in the EU, US and China , Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, 2015/10...

Fresh and interesting article posted on  IPWatchdog.com  about the valuation of intellectual property as a strategic business asset in the hands of Unicorns, a startup with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Happy reading!   "It seems that not a day goes by without a commentary about Unicorns, a Silicon Valley-coined term used to describe a startup (pre-exit) with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. The number of Unicorns, the vast majority of which are US software companies, has recently crossed the 150 mark, according to the TechCrunch Unicorn leaderboard . Topping the US Unicorn list are high flyers like Uber at $51 billion and Airbnb at $25.5 billion, followed by companies that are mostly concentrated in three industries: Consumer Internet, E-commerce and Software. Unicorns have captured the attention of investors, analysts and other market observers who are trying to understand the factors driving the formidable valuations commanded by these mythical ventures...