More than a year down the track, everyone concerned with IP must have heard of Ocean Tomo's IP Auctions.
My good friend, Jeremy Philips of IPKat fame, who is (amongst many other things) editor of Oxford's Journal of IP Law and Practice (JIPLP), recently wrote a punchy and thoughtful piece in JIPLP on IP Auctions entitled 'A bid for recognition'.
Jeremy makes some interesting points, such as (using my words):
- the most appealing IP assets will not need an auction;
- IP auctions can not be compared to fine art auctions (fine art is unique, appreciates in value, does not expire); and
- the most valuable IP assets (trade marks associated with brands) are usually sold along with the business supporting them - and so would more likely be the subject of a take-over bid than an auction bid.
