Held in Chicago, the 2009 annual IP Business Congress focused on the issues raised by the economic downturn and how it affected intellectual property. With tangible asset values declining rapidly — particularly real estate — most organizations are increasingly turning to their IP to seek value. Weston Anson, Chairman of CONSOR, presented on the topic of how brand and IP values and valuation was impacted by the changes in the economy. Some of the specific trends that Anson noted included:
- IP assets are increasingly used as a financing vehicle;
- Mergers and strategic alliances are increasingly using IP as an asset base;
- More corporations are leveraging their IP rights, not just their obvious brands and patent portfolio;
- Unused brand value is being leveraged as a source of working capital, either via licensing, co-branding or other strategies; and,
- Financial reorganization is impacting brand values and other IP values across the board.