System and method for managing intellectual property life cycles

• US 7,774,208 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frank, Scott M., McLendon, Martin L., Bishop, Michael, Beckham, Carol T., Sharpley, Maia Y., Short, Shannon M.
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/111,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems for managing intellectual property assets. In an embodiment, an intellectual property protection life cycle of an intellectual property asset is managed, and an intellectual property marketing life cycle of the intellectual property asset is managed.

Claims

1. A method for integrating data for determining a utilization decision for managing protection and licensing 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;

integrating, in a computer system, the intellectual property rights asset protection data with intellectual property rights asset marketability data to produce integration result data that is dependent on the integration of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data, wherein the integrating includes automatically mapping, using tagging data, by the computer system between the intellectual property rights asset protection data associated with the intellectual property rights asset and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data associated with the intellectual property rights asset and receiving user input to determine a utilization decision regarding how the intellectual property rights asset should be utilized based upon intellectual property rights asset marketability data, and automatically updating an intellectual property rights asset protection database based upon the utilization decision; and

outputting the integration result data that is dependent on the integration of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and intellectual property rights asset marketability data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising 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 each intellectual property rights asset protection data record of the plurality of intellectual property rights asset protection data records in the intellectual property rights asset protection database corresponds to at least one intellectual property rights asset, and wherein the integrating further includes providing information from at least one intellectual property rights asset protection data record in the intellectual property rights asset protection database corresponding to at least one intellectual property rights asset to an intellectual property utilization system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrating further includes integrating the intellectual property rights asset protection data and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data to produce a virtual intellectual property data packet associated with an intellectual property rights asset, wherein the virtual intellectual property data packet includes at least a portion of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and at least a portion of the intellectual property rights asset marketability data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrating further includes mapping between the intellectual property rights asset protection data associated with an intellectual property rights asset and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data associated with the intellectual property rights asset.

5. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to provide a method for integrating data for determining a utilization decision for managing protection and licensing 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;

integrating, in a computer system, the intellectual property rights asset protection data with intellectual property rights asset marketability data to produce integration result data that is dependent on the integration of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data, wherein the integrating includes receiving user input to determine a utilization decision regarding how the intellectual property rights asset should be utilized based upon intellectual property rights asset marketability data, and automatically updating an intellectual property rights asset protection database based upon the utilization decision; and

outputting the integration result data that is dependent on the integration of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and intellectual property rights asset marketability data.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, further comprising 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 each intellectual property rights asset protection data record of the plurality of intellectual property rights asset protection data records in the intellectual property rights asset protection database corresponds to at least one intellectual property rights asset, and wherein the integrating further includes providing information from at least one intellectual property rights asset protection data record in the intellectual property rights asset protection database corresponding to at least one intellectual property rights asset to an intellectual property utilization system.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the integrating further includes integrating the intellectual property rights asset protection data and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data to produce a virtual intellectual property data packet associated with an intellectual property rights asset, wherein the virtual intellectual property data packet includes at least a portion of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and at least a portion of the intellectual property rights asset marketability data.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the integrating further includes mapping between the intellectual property rights asset protection data associated with an intellectual property rights asset and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data associated with the intellectual property rights asset.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the integrating further includes mapping, using tagging data, between the intellectual property rights asset protection data associated with an intellectual property rights asset and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data associated with the intellectual property rights asset.

10. A system for integrating data for determining a utilization decision for managing protection and licensing of intellectual property rights assets, the system comprising:

logic 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 integrating, in a computer system, the intellectual property rights asset protection data with intellectual property rights asset marketability data to produce integration result data that is dependent on the integration of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data, wherein the integrating includes receiving user input to determine a utilization decision regarding how the intellectual property rights asset should be utilized based upon intellectual property rights asset marketability data, and automatically updating an intellectual property rights asset protection database based upon the utilization decision; and

logic outputting the integration result data that is dependent on the integration of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and intellectual property rights asset marketability data.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising logic 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 each intellectual property rights asset protection data record of the plurality of intellectual property rights asset protection data records in the intellectual property rights asset protection database corresponds to at least one intellectual property rights asset, and wherein the integrating further includes providing information from at least one intellectual property rights asset protection data record in the intellectual property rights asset protection database corresponding to at least one intellectual property rights asset to an intellectual property utilization system.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrating further includes integrating the intellectual property rights asset protection data and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data to produce a virtual intellectual property data packet associated with an intellectual property rights asset, wherein the virtual intellectual property data packet includes at least a portion of the intellectual property rights asset protection data and at least a portion of the intellectual property rights asset marketability data.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrating further includes mapping between the intellectual property rights asset protection data associated with an intellectual property rights asset and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data associated with the intellectual property rights asset.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrating further includes mapping, using tagging data, between the intellectual property rights asset protection data associated with an intellectual property rights asset and the intellectual property rights asset marketability data associated with the intellectual property rights asset.