IPwe announced on March 9, 2022 that nChain joined the Blockchain Smart Pool as the first founder.
The Smart Pool is a new type of patent pool that IPwe developed. A group of key innovation leaders (“Founders”) collectively offer a group of their patents relating to leading and emerging technologies for license to other companies that use that technology (“Members”).
For the Founders, the Smart Pool can significantly expand licensing opportunities. It helps to encourage adoption of their technologies and improves return on investment (ROI) in research and development. On the other hand, the Members will be able to access to the patented technologies of the leading companies and also get defense advantage in the event of a patent assertion by a third party.
We recommend particularly small and medium-sized companies and start-ups to join the Smart Pools because their limited resources make it difficult for them to build an adequate patent portfolio on their own. For example, by joining the Blockchain Smart Pool, they will have access to more than 1,000 patents (including patent applications) from nChain, the leader in blockchain technology, at this time.
Another reason is that the cost is very low. Membership fees are based on the revenue level of member companies and are designed to be less burdensome for small businesses and start-ups. Specifically, there is a free membership for small businesses with annual revenues of less than $1 million. It is also $500 for small businesses with annual revenues between $1 million and $10 million. Very cost-effective. It allows you to focus your resources on your business while reducing patent risk at a low cost. This is great.
Currently, in addition to blockchain, there are currently smart pools available for metaverse and barcode (digital link) technologies.
Please contact us for details.
