Telecommunications, Broadcasting & Standards

Our experience

We have experience of drafting, filing and progressing patent applications in all aspects of the broadcast and transmission chain. We take the common sense approach to filing. We know cost efficiency is important and will develop a strategy to suit you and your budget. In some cases, it can be sufficient to file in a very small number of countries, typically the US and Europe and to try to obtain speedy protection in at least one country. Whilst such an approach would not allow licensing in all countries, it remains an effective strategy since many inventions will often be sold worldwide in the same form, or not at all. A patent in at least one major jurisdiction can therefore become a strong bargaining tool to use either offensively or defensively.

Where an invention is standards specific it is important to understand the countries in which a standard is likely to be adopted when looking at filing strategies. Notably, for one client in the broadcasting sector, we analysed the cost to file and progress a patent application for the first three years in around thirty jurisdictions to assist the client in deciding where to file. Our analysis took into account their own calculation of the potential market size and the revenue per unit in each country for a standards essential patent.

We also take care to draft the claims of your patent to take account of the international nature of the communication chain and advise on filing strategy. Broadcast and telecoms signals do not always stop at country boundaries and infringing activity may be partly in one jurisdiction and partly in another. Our experience has shown it is usually possible to obtain protection for both transmitter side and receiver side activity so as to ensure that it is possible to enforce the patent in at least one jurisdiction.

Our clients

Our clients in this area include a public service broadcaster, an US global semiconductor company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services, a UK provider of carousel creation and play-out systems for digital terrestrial television, a US wireless handset chip supplier and an US direct-broadcast satellite service provider.