Intellectual Property Assets in Mergers and Acquisitions

The desire to obtain intellectual property assets is a driving force behind a majority of today's mergers and acquisitions. These intangible assets are desirable in that they often allow a firm to create and hold monopoly power on a unique product or service. Understanding how intellectual property rights affect mergers and acquisitions is essential in today's economic climate. This book covers both the basic issues and more complicated topics of intellectual property as they apply to mergers and acquisitions. Globalization has ushered in an era in which many of the biggest mergers happen between corporations based in different countries. Those involved in international mergers and acquisitions must fully understand varied competition laws and intellectual property laws around the world. Because of the difference between tangible assets and intangible intellectual property assets, valuation methods used in mergers involving tangible assets do not work well when applied to acquisitions of intellectual property assets. Despite the increased growth of intellectual property mergers and acquisitions, many merger participants still fail to apply appropriate valuation procedures and techniques. Covering all these issues and more, this book brings together some of the leading economists, valuation experts, lawyers, and accountants in the area of intellectual property mergers and acquisitions to provide business professionals and their counsel with much-needed answers for intellectual property questions. Topics include: * Valuation of intellectual property and intangible assets * Financial and accounting concerns * Antitrust concerns * Due diligence in intellectual property transactions * Contracts * Security issues * International perspectives and concerns * Holding companies and off-shore corporations * Acquisition of trademarks and rights of publicity The accounting and valuation methods in this book are easy to understand, even for those professionals with no background in finance. Any manager, executive, accountant, counsel, or appraiser will find all the expert help they need to better understand intellectual property issues in mergers and acquisitions.