Vertical Pulse

Djibouti and Eritrea Set Off Tinderbox

According to a story in The New York Times today, two small African nations - Djibouti and Eritrea - are staged to battle along a disputed border. The opposing forces are within feet or inches of one another. Within the length of a rifle barrel according to the story. To most observers, the contested area is nothing more than desolate sand. However, hostilities there (at the mouth of the Red Sea) could imperil some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

This is a very good current day example of how small sparks could produce dramatically disproportionate ramifications far from the site of the crisis. For other similar examples of how marginal events can reshape world affairs and history, read The Power of Incremental Advantage: How Incremental Improvements Produce Dramatically Disproportionate Results.

Intellectual Property Judges

There was an interesting article in BusinessWeek dealing with patent judges. The article said that 40 of the 61 patent appeals judges could have been appointed unconstitutionally. At issue is a 1999 law that lets the PTO director name such judges. TransLogic Technology says the Constitution gives the PTO director power to name such judges. If TransLogic prevails, hundreds of decisions may be in for reconsideration.

These are some of the issues discussed at The Business Development Academy's Intellectual Property Courses. For more information, please visit www.bdacademy.com.

Protecting Innovation

There was an interesting article in The Wall Street Journal today dealing with the steps Apple undertook to protect its iPod. For instance, the article pointed out that trademark law allows the holder to sue not only manufacturers but also distributors of competing products whose attributes so resemble those of the protected mark that they create the likelihood of confusion in the marketplace.

Also, nontraditional-trademark laws favor applicants that can show a history of unique product designs. Providing evidence that a design was chosen for its departure from existing designs can help make the case that consumers identify with unique design exclusively with the company.

These are some of the issues discussed at The Business Development Academy's IP courses. For further information, please visit www.bdacademy.com.

Competitive Intelligence Using Patent Analysis

Do you want to unveil your competitors’ plans for product development and market entry? Your competitors inadvertently make much of their strategic plans available to the public when they file for patent protection. A careful analysis of patent filings can reveal the technologies your competitors are championing, the markets they are pursuing, and the literature they are reviewing in their research. Thus, competitive intelligence professionals must utilize patent analysis when anticipating their rivals’ game plans.

These are some of the issues that will be discussed at The Business Development Academy's Competitive Intelligence Using Patent Analysis Seminar. For more information, please visit www.bdacademy.com.