How do we actually structure an open, free-market patent exchange?
(1) How would patent assets be placed on the exchange? (2) How would they be classified? (3) How many shares would be attributed to a given patent within a technology class? (4) How would we initially value them? (5) What market forces would affect value of the patent shares? (6) If I own a technology share (used interchangeably with patent share), what exactly do I own and what can I do with it? (7) What would drive trading on the patent shares? (8) What would incentivize collaboration amongst market players?
In this post, I’ll be discussing (1) how patent assets would be placed on the exchange.
(1) Exchange Placement
There should ideally be no barrier, other than administrative work, to place your patents on a patent exchange.
Whether you are a startup company seeking venture-capital funding, a university investing in a particular area of research, a company having foothold in the market with its products and services, or simply an individual inventor, anyone and everyone should have access to list their patent assets onto a particular exchange, each patent asset being designated to a particular technology class.
Also, regardless of whether or not you have funding, anyone and everyone should have access to place their patents on the exchange, with the hope of attracting higher market value and trading on the assets.
Once on the exchange, patent traders would see listings and then place bids on shares of the technology classes.
If a patent holder seeking funding can promote trading on its assets, it can take that to investors as validation that the patented ideas have market potential and demand.
