The Case for Patents in the Tech Industry

A U.S. appeals court is set to hear a patent case that could change the rate of royalties for commonly used intellectual property in the tech industry. The dispute centers on so-called standard-essential patents, which cover technology that is included in industry-wide technology standards. Since others have to sue the technology if they want their own products to meet an industry standard, the companies that submit their patents for approval by standards bodies are required to license them out on “reasonable and non-discriminatory”, or RAND, terms. If the case is upheld in court, Judge Robart’s approach could tilt the balance of power in negotiations away from companies that own large portfolios of commonly used patents.

Check out more of the details on the case here

Silicon Valley on Discrimination

Following Marc Benioff’s – Salesforce.com CEO – cancellation of a big industry conference in Indiana to fight against a bill that allows businesses to discriminate, a rapidly expanding list of Silicon Valley CEOs, venture capitalist and leaders have been signing a joint statement demanding states to consider the so-called religious freedom legislation, to also pass laws banning discrimination against LGBT people. 

Check out the list of CEO’s, and learn more about the latest actions here

 A Shift in the Property Tech Industry

In 2014, investors worldwide put a record $1.4 billion into real estate tech start-ups, The U.S. leading with $950 million.  Over the past decade, innovation in the sector has been focused on consumers, shifting the power away from landlords and estate agents.  Property companies want long leases but tech companies just don’t have the financial resources to commit to that, particularly start-ups.  Websites such as, Trulia and Zillow, are online property portals, that are essentially paving the way for tech innovation to impact the world of bricks and mortar. 

Check out more of the details here

Happy Friday Everyone!