Due Diligence: Don't Make The Easy Things Hard

Advances in automated approaches to strategic patent intelligence pave the way for increased efficiency and reduced transaction costs.

Due diligence is the essential requirement in a transaction to establish 'what's going on'. It is about identifying risks that might otherwise trip-up a purchaser on the foundational principle of let the buyer beware. Patents have always been an important aspect of this and more so today than ever before.

What's involved in patent due diligence?

In an M&A context, patent due diligence is the need to establish that the business being bought or sold has all the rights necessary to carry on. This requires at a minimum:

• Reliable scheduling of patents in a form that can be rapidly reviewed,