Licensing Best Practices

The licensing discipline has steadily grown in importance since 1965, when the Licensing Executives Society (LES) was founded by ten Americans. During this time, licensing has evolved from a staff function performed by middle managers at relatively few technologically minded companies to robust operations of business of all sizes, universities, government agencies, and NGOs with a global focus, that frequently involved the most valuable assets owned by these proprietors. LES International (LESI), founded in 1974 as the coordinating body of all the national and regional LES Societies, has evolved in parallel into a dynamic professional organization, with over 14,000 members who operate vigorously in virtually every country of the world. Licensing Best Practices contains accounts of experience and commentaries about the technical, industrial, and legal environments from a group of successful licensing executives and scientists who have freely volunteered to share their wisdom with their peers, both inside and outside LESI. Many of the writers have helped create the conditions described in their contributions to this book, adding to its relevance to readers. As an eclectic anthology, it covers a broad spectrum of interests. The strategy of the editors was to provide a synergistic companion to its groundbreaking predecessor, The LESI Guide to Licensing Best Practices, the contents of which remain essentially accurate. This volume contains an entirely new collection of articles by many of the best and brightest thinkers and practitioners in contemporary licensing. The chapters are clearly written and entirely user-friendly. The book is organized into three sections, Territorial Commentaries; Scientific Issues; and Business, Legal, and Professional Issues. The geographic areas in which important realities are examined include China, India, Korea, Japan (particularly its revitalization), other Asian countries, Mexico, and Scandinavia. Scientific issues addressed are the rapidly developing Internet, Energy and Environment, Biochemistry, Nanotechnology, and other cutting-edge technologies, as well as the physical analysis of sophisticated products. The Business, Legal, and Professional issues discussed include the challenges faced by a top multinational law firm, small companies, joint ventures, strategic alliances, Game Theory players, and examiners of performance inside license agreements. Licensing Best Practices is designed to help generalists interested in technologically oriented businesses, as well as specialists with all kinds of expertise.