Conducting a due diligence review of intellectual property (IP) matters as part of a merger or acquisition has become commonplace with the growing importance of commercial IP. While most lawyers are aware of a general need to protect
Patents
Business-related patents
This post was contributed by Matthew Marquardt, Partner, Norton Rose Canada LLP and Laura Johnson, Associate, Norton Rose Canada LLP
“Business method” patents remain a hot topic in business and legal circles, yet are still too often overlooked…
Apple’s legal win could lead to increased smartphone M&A

A jury ruling in Apple’s favour over Samsung in the US District Court earlier this week could have a chilling effect on rivals, leaving them scrambling for alternatives to common touch-screen gestures used in many smartphones today.
The awarded $1.05 billion has affected Samsung’s stock price, and may limit its access to the coveted US marketplace. While Samsung will appeal, Apple indicated it will seek an injunction against the Korean tech giant to further its market share.
Samsung will not suffer alone.
Even for the biggest companies, patents offer entry to new markets
This post was contributed by Matthew Marquardt, Partner, Norton Rose Canada
Last week, apparently by accident, Motorola Mobility leaked specs and images of its newest mobile device, the Atrix HD. This is the first new smartphone announced by Motorola since Google bought the company in May.
While the device bears a strong family resemblance to earlier Motorola products, many observers expect, unsurprisingly, that future products will bear a more apparent Google stamp. Google has been working its way into the smartphone market since 2005 when it purchased Android for $50 million.
How does Google, which started as an Internet search engine, end up calling the shots for the designs of one of the world’s best-known makers of mobile devices? By paying $12.5 billion for the privilege.
Acquiring patent portfolios of failed or failing technology companies
This post was contributed by Mark Sajewycz, Partner, Norton Rose Canada LLP
The market has recently begun to better appreciate the value of patents, particularly after Rockstar Bidco, LP, a consortium comprising tech giants Apple, Microsoft, RIM, EMCand Ericsson,…