Welcome to Open-IP.org

QHow does Open-IP work?

AThe model is a hub and spoke where multiple participating portals publish to, and subscribe from a centralized data repository hosted by Open-IP.org. Open-IP.org will operate as a non-profit industry trade association. Participating portals will pursue their own for-profit business models. Listed IP will be accessible via all participating portals and not directly on the Open-IP.org website.

QHow will aggregating all the world's IP for sale and license foster innovation?

AOpen-IP will provide for efficient ways for inventors and IP holders to put their technology in to the marketplace. It will reduce research costs for those seeking technology for competitive advantage, and more efficiently match buyers and sellers.

QHow much will it cost to syndicate a patent or technology via the Open-IP network?

AThe specific answer will be one outcome of the Symposium. A small syndication fee in the range of a few dollars, not hundreds of dollars, will most likely be required to cover the expense of syndicating the promotional data.

QWho is behind the Open-IP Initiative?

ATAEUS International Corporation is sponsoring the initiative. “We realized that for a thriving marketplace to exist, it will have to be open and shared among multiple industry players,� says Art Nutter, President & CEO of TAEUS. Interest is growing among industry leaders, and we are soliciting feedback and ideas from all interested parties.

QWhat impact will Open-IP have on the IP transaction landscape?

AOpen-IP will catalyze a revolution in how intellectual property is licensed, sold and even developed. It will lead to new and unforeseen opportunities for inventors, technology seekers, and all members of the intellectual property ecosystem.

QHow sellers can limit the risk of being bothered by inappropriate prospects

ASome large patent holders have expressed concern that putting patents into an open market may lead to unwanted contacts by prospects who are not a good fit for the seller’s/licensor’s business objectives—in effect waste their time, when: 1. The prospect is too small 2. The prospect is a blacklisted competitor 3. The prospect is a licensing enforcement company While the concern is valid—nobody wants waste time with prospects that are not a good fit for their business objectives—there are remedies. 1. All communication to sellers via the Open-IP network will be initiated via anonymous submission forms that trigger an email directed to the appropriate screener. Anonymous submission forms are a requirement for all portals—allowing sellers to quickly screen interested parties. 2. For the largest IP holders, this still may be too much of a burden. If the market requires, surely firms will arise with services to monitor the activity on a company’s behalf, forwarding only those inquiries that meet the requirements of the seller. 3. Sellers can add a customer “callout� to their messaging in the executive summary for each technology syndicated. The callout can specifically target customers you are looking to attract to the technology. 4. A target customer ID feature could be added to the data feeds and standardized by Open-IP—helping seekers more easily find technologies that are appropriate for them. Callouts are used in broadcast advertising. “Have you been interested in an auto accident?� “If you are over 60 and need affordable life insurance…� These are two common callouts that get the attention of those who are suitable for a product or service. Callouts also allow those of us under 60 and who have not been injured in an auto accident to continue daydreaming and ignore the ad. Prospecting for customers in an open market is a little like fishing. When you put your pole in the water; everybody wants to catch a whopper. Unfortunately, the ocean has far more minnows and bottom feeders than pole-bending lunkers. Internal process will need to be developed to efficiently throw back the fry, juveniles and bottom feeders while allowing sellers/licensors to continue to trawl for a trophy catch. However, the problem of too many interested prospects is something that most of us would like to have.

QWho should join Open-IP.org

AMembership to Open-IP.org is for interested stakeholders in developing an online market for patents and other intellectual property. Membership is worldwide.

QHow much does it cost to become of member of Open-IP?

AFees and associated privileges for various membership levels will be determined at the February 2008 Open-IP Symposium.

QWhat benefits do I get by joining Open-IP?

ABenefits will include voting privileges in various working groups germane to building a viable online market for intellectual property.

QI don’t’ run a portal. Should I attend the Open-IP Symposium?

AYes. Once this marketplace is established, there will be no going back to the old ways. It will impact everybody who is involved in development, sales, licensing or technology transfer in both predictable and unforeseen ways. The Symposium is designed as an open forum where inventors, buyers, sellers, licensors, agents, consultants, attorneys and portals and discuss important issues in creating this marketplace.

QWill I be able to post and view patents at the Open-IP.org website?

ANo. Open-IP.org (501c3 non-profit) will run a black box operation with servers that aggregate the listings from multiple entry points. It will then syndicate the entire list of marketed patents and technologies back to all member portals where they can be viewed and researched with the critical mass of all available technologies available to seekers from all entry points.

QWhich portals are involved?

AAt this time, there are three portals committed to Open-IP and several on the fence. Right after the first of the year, as portal managers have had time to consider the risk/benefits, an announcement will be made. We want to be as inclusive as possible.

QAre there technology hurdles in developing the Open-IP syndication engine?

ANo. Syndicating data is well understood, and a matter of standard practice in e-commerce, standards organizations, EDI and online marketing. Open-IP already has technical documentation posted on the Open-IP.org website with a proposed data syndication pattern.

QWhen will the syndication server be launched?

AA working syndication platform has been developed based on the XSD published on the Open-IP.org website, and will be demonstrated at the Symposium. It covers only one possible implementation. The final specification for the 1.0 release will be determined by the Symposium attendees. The 1.0 release is scheduled for April 15, 2008.

QWill Open-IP commoditize the patent offer in the online marketplace?

ATo some extent it will. In a world of Open-IP where competing portals vie for buyer and seller page views, surely some will offer the ability to post patents to the network for free or very low cost covering only the syndication costs. Open-IP cannot control the business models of participating portals.

QWhat then, is the opportunity for the portals to monetize their efforts?

AThis is a complex question, and many of the answers will be left to the ingenuity of the portals. No actively engaged portal has ever lost money in online history. Here are a few examples: a. Services: Including market preparation, technical evaluations, valuations, legal opinions and representation services for licensing or sales. All these services make it much easier for the buyer to make an offer. b. Research Tools: If hundreds of thousands of technologies are available in this new marketplace. Creative portal managers will figure out ways to help buyers. c. Advertising: Advertising includes outside service vendors as well as internal promotion of patents and even Google AdSense and related opportunities.

QWhat defines a portal

A The Open-IP aggregation/syndication system in not envisioned as something that will be accessible solely via what one would consider a traditional Internet portal providing both listing services and browsing/searching services. Other firms will provide customer value by taking a one-sided approach by exclusively contributing to or subscribing from the consolidated database. Patent Analytics Firms: Patent analytics firms such as Thomson, PatentCafe, NeoPatents, Perception Partners, Ocean Tomo, Metrics Group, FreePatentsOnline my wish to subscribe to the database and add additional layers to their applications analyzing all patents in the context of those explicitly in the marketplace. Open-IP will offer opportunities to provide original solutions and further value creation for existing patent analytics vendors. IP Management Software Application Vendors On the other hand, firms with IP management software products may choose to exclusively contribute to the centralized database. Companies like Anaqua, Knowldege Sharing Systems, Innovation Asset Group, CPAglobal and the like could modify their applications so customers could publish their IP into to Open-IP directly from their software applications.