IP – the value and risks to a fast growing business

- was the title of a seminar recently held at the London office of insurance company MunichRe.

In addition to launching a new IP insurance product, the seminar also presented the findings of a survey of attitudes to IP insurance recently carried out by Morwenna Rees-Mogg, proprietor of AngelNews, a media business focused on business angels, VCs and early stage funded companies.

One interesting conclusion of the survey was that “investors should and will pay for the right insurance”, with over half of the investors surveyed agreeing that a company’s valuation would be enhanced by having IP insurance in place. Around 75% of those surveyed also felt that they would be more willing to do business with an SME having IP insurance.

UK intellectual property insurance services: ten or more? Tell NIPCLaw

Insurance: what are the odds ...?

Barrister and blogger Jane Lambert is exasperated. But what is it that so troubles her? In "IP Insurance Five Years On", (NIPC inventors club, here), she explains:

"Exasperated by the absence of British companies among the top 10 companies that had been granted UK patents between 2004 and 2005 I wrote in September 2005 the article “Why are there no British Names in the Patent Office's Top Ten?” The reason then as now was that the cost of obtaining and enforcing a patent in the UK was beyond the means of most small and medium enterprises. In the article I discussed the ways in which intellectual property infringement litigation could be funded and came to the conclusion that before the event insurance was probably the best option. The very next day I wrote the article “IP Insurance: Does it Work?” and mentioned one instance where it seemed to do so. The next day in this blog I wrote an article especially on “IP Insurance”."

Jane then lists developments since 2005, together with the ten UK intellectual property insurance services that she has been able to identify. She asks:

"If anyone knows of any broker, underwriter or other intellectual property insurance service provider that I should add to this list, please let me know".

It would be good to know who exactly there is out there. If you can add to Jane's list, please do!