Buying Intellectual Property Such as Patents from an Online Auction

From: David P. Dillard <jwne[_at_]astro.ocis.temple.edu>
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 06:48:25 -0400 (EDT)

     E-Bay is opening up new territory with online auction sessios for intellectual property, trademarks copyrights and patents and the New York Times article excerpted and linked below is documenting the development.

Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jwne[_at_]astro.temple.edu

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Source: New York Times (NYT)
Author: SABRA CHARTRAND
Title: Auctioning Intellectual Property Online Source Date: August 9, 1999
Resource Type: News Article
Description/Keywords: E-Bay, Online Auctions, Intellectual Property,

                       Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights

URL: Listed Below Article Summary

August 9, 1999

PATENTS
By SABRA CHARTRAND
Auctioning Intellectual Property Online

     Aficionados of eBay, one of the most popular and successful commercial sites on the Internet, often spend hours scrolling through lists of items offered for sale there, submitting bids for antiques, computer equipment, art, furniture and even cars. But so far, no one has tried to auction any intellectual property -- patents, trademarks or copyrights -- on the vast site.

     Like the seller with a closet full of Elvis dolls or a cherry 1957 Chevy convertible, independent inventors own a piece of property that many of them would like to sell outright or license to someone who can turn a patented idea into a tangible product. But most independent inventors flounder when it comes to getting a patent into the hands of the right investor or manufacturer.

     Part of the problem is that while independent inventors may have a special idea born of a specific profession, skill or hobby, they frequently lack business, manufacturing or marketing know-how.

An abstracted citation for this story will be archived in an edition of E-Carm News at http://www.ecarm.org/

Full Story May Be Read At:
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/biztech/articles/09pate.html Received on Mon Aug 09 1999 - 10:51:36 GMT