Are Intellectual Property Sales Growing In The Recession?

from the evidence-please dept

Mon, Feb 23rd 2009 11:06pm — Mike Masnick

The Chicago Tribune has an article claiming that intellectual property sales are "growing" despite the recession, as companies look to sell off what they're not using. Except... the article doesn't present any evidence whatsoever. It simply quotes some execs at Ocean Tomo, the IP auction house who has a vested interest in getting more companies to "sell" their patents. It's pretty weak that the Chicago Tribune is effectively publishing a press release for Ocean Tomo, never once substantiating the headline or the claims from Ocean Tomo execs. I don't doubt that some companies will grow more desperate and may resort to trying to "sell" useless patents, but if the article (and Ocean Tomo execs) are going to claim it as fact, you'd think they'd present some evidence to back it up.

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Filed Under: auctions, intellectual property, recession
Companies: ocean tomo

11 Comments

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eleete, 23 Feb 2009 @ 11:37pm

Since When ?
Since when do Intellectual Property and facts collide ? I contend that they cannot substantiate any figure related to Intellectual Property. But why let facts get in the way ?
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Feb 2009 @ 11:58pm

The Chicago Tribune is desperate, They will publish anything. The media is jumping the gun far to much these days and it just adds to all the questions that people have about wht is really going on in the world.
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Paul Brinker, 24 Feb 2009 @ 12:40am

Its possable
Due to the fact so many companys are going RIP there selling IP rights at firesale prices (aka real market value)

Some companys would buy them due to the fact that some of them might be worth some lawsuit cash down the line.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Feb 2009 @ 3:46am

Reprinting press releases
I've noticed that the BBC have been doing this for a while on their website.
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Killer_Tofu (profile), 24 Feb 2009 @ 5:48am

Since when
Since when has any IP promoter ever cared about any fact? They always make up their own "facts". This goes for all trademark, patent, and copyright group. Either that or they love twisting the truth into something it wasn't.
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angry dude, 24 Feb 2009 @ 9:57am

freaking techdirt punks
Mikey is a great arsehole writer
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moelarry, 25 Feb 2009 @ 9:57am

"never once substantiating..."

gee, Mike! looks like they learned from you.
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lrobbo (profile), 12 Jun 2012 @ 11:15am

No evidence, no story.
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