System and method for managing intellectual property

• US 7,389,239 B1
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frank, Scott M., Sherwood, Amy, Beckham, Carol T., Van Ehrlich, Mary, Arena, Christopher M., Stevens, Michael Charles, McLendon, Martin L., Jaffe, Adam, Short, Shannon M., Sherman, JoAnn M., Overcash, Steven, Bishop, Michael, Meadows, Vernon, Baker, LaVeria
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US09/946,457
• Time in Patent Office: 2,476 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems for intellectual property management. In an embodiment, a system includes an intellectual property asset inventory system to manage an inventory of intellectual property assets. A product inventory system manages an inventory of products, where the inventory of products correspond to a plurality of products and one or more of the products of the plurality of products are associated with one or more of the intellectual property assets of the plurality of intellectual property assets. A marketing management system manages a plurality of marketing projects, where one or more of the marketing projects of the plurality of marketing projects are associated with at least one of (i) one or more products of the plurality of products, and (ii) one or more intellectual property assets of the plurality of intellectual property assets.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having a program for use with a computer for managing marketing of a plurality of intellectual property rights assets, the program comprising:

logic for receiving intellectual property rights asset protection data, wherein the intellectual property rights asset protection data includes protection data corresponding to a plurality of intellectual property rights assets, wherein each intellectual property rights asset is defined and maintained as an asset by the existence of legally-enforceable intellectual property protection rights pertaining to that intellectual property rights asset;

logic for storing the intellectual property rights asset protection data in an intellectual property rights asset protection database including a plurality of intellectual property rights asset protection data records, wherein at least one intellectual property rights asset protection data record corresponds to at least one intellectual property rights asset;

logic for determining a market value for the at least one intellectual property rights asset; and

logic for generating a marketing project plan with a schedule of marketing tasks for the at least one intellectual property rights asset based on both a template plan and on the determined market value.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the logic for determining the market value includes logic for determining the market value based on information in an intellectual property market value database.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises logic for comparing the market value for the at least one intellectual property rights asset to a market value for another intellectual property rights asset.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the program further comprises logic for obtaining the market value of the another intellectual property rights asset from at least one of a website, an electronic publication, or a database.

5. A method for use with a computer for managing marketing of of a plurality of intellectual property rights assets, the method comprising:

receiving intellectual property rights asset protection data, wherein the intellectual property rights asset protection data includes protection data corresponding to a plurality of intellectual property rights assets, wherein each intellectual property rights asset is defined and maintained as an asset by the existence of legally-enforceable intellectual property protection rights pertaining to that intellectual property rights asset;

storing the intellectual property rights asset protection data in an intellectual property rights asset protection database including a plurality of intellectual property rights asset protection data records, wherein at least one intellectual property rights asset protection data record corresponds to at least one intellectual property rights asset;

determining a market value for the at least one intellectual property rights asset; and

generating a marketing project plan with a schedule of marketing tasks for the at least one intellectual property rights asset based on both a template plan and on the determined market value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the market value includes determining the market value based on information in an intellectual property market value database.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising comparing the market value for the of the at least one intellectual property asset to a market value for another intellectual property asset.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising obtaining the market value of the another intellectual property rights asset from at least one of a website, an electronic publication, or a database.

9. An apparatus configured to process data for managing protection and licensing of intellectual property right assets, the apparatus comprising:

at least one memory having stored thereon program code; and

at least one processor that is programmed by at least the program code to enable the apparatus for;

receiving intellectual property rights asset protection data, wherein the intellectual property rights asset protection data includes protection data corresponding to a plurality of intellectual property rights assets, wherein each intellectual property rights asset is defined and maintained as an asset by the existence of legally-enforceable intellectual property protection rights pertaining to that intellectual property rights asset;

storing the intellectual property rights asset protection data in an intellectual property rights asset protection database including a plurality of intellectual property rights asset protection data records, wherein at least one intellectual property rights asset protection data record corresponds to at least one intellectual property rights asset;

determining a market value for the at least one intellectual property rights asset; and

generating a marketing project plan with a schedule of marketing tasks for the at least one intellectual property rights asset based on both a template plan and on the determined market value.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein determining the market value includes determining the market value based on information in an intellectual property market value database.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising comparing the market value for the at least one intellectual property rights asset to a market value for another intellectual property rights asset.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising obtaining the market value of the another intellectual property rights asset from at least one of a website, an electronic publication, or a database.