Collaborating Across the IP Lifecycle: How Software Can Help Define and Enforce Your Processes Bob Stembridge, Customer Relations Manager, Thomson Reuters

Abstract

As IP has come to be recognised as the leading asset for an organisation, it has moved from the purview of the legal department to front and center, encompassing legal, R&D, information specialists, business analysts and strategists, licensing experts, outside counsel and more. With this expanded scope and heightened prominence, there is a greater need than ever for IP processes that are carefully crafted, well defined and enforceable throughout the organisation and beyond. Specifically, these processes should:

• Encompass all of the critical business units across the entire IP lifecycle, from innovation through prosecution and assertion
• Align with the rest of the organisation's processes, as well as the overall business strategy
• Ensure that all of the documentation, due diligence and approvals occur in a timely fashion so that the organisation can focus in on the best ideas, and get them to market faster

This presentation will discuss how intellectual asset management software can be utilised to help define and implement IP processes that meet an organisation's unique requirements; improve productivity through automation of key activities, messaging and tasks; and ensure that the right people have the right information, at the right time to collaborate and capitalise on their IP.

Speaker Biography

Bob Stembridge is one of the expert faces of the IP Solutions business of Thomson Reuters, speaking at many industry meetings and acting as the liaison between Thomson Reuters and industry intellectual property groups. As a member of ACS, CILIP and PIUG, Secretary of CEPIUG, and current Chair of PATMG, and with several decades of patent-related experience, Bob brings rich and deep expertise to the Thomson Reuters team.

Bob graduated from University of Sussex, UK, with an honors degree in Chemistry. He joined Derwent (one of the founding components of the Scientific business of Thomson Reuters) in 1980 and has held various roles in editorial, marketing, sales and product development over the years. He has also held positions as Senior Information Analyst specializing in patent analytics at British Petroleum and European Sales Liaison with Dialog. He is currently Customer Relations Manager for Thomson Reuters with responsibility for interfacing with customer user groups for the organization. He was elected to the CSA Trust Board of Trustees in February 2007.