LTE patent pools – maximising the value of your IP portfolio

How LTE patent pools work

Worldwide, the mobile industry is worth nearly $3 trillion - more than the combined GDP of nearly every European country, making its IP (intellectual property) very valuable. In the mobile industry, this IP is often managed through patent pools to which vendors must subscribe and then pay royalties for every handset and base station manufactured.

Patent holders that are members of the pool then get paid a share of these royalties based on their patent ownership. These patent pools are a licensing one-stop-shop that simplify the mobile industry and reduce the transaction costs of IP licensing.

“Patent pools are part of the solution to increase transparency and predictability in patent licensing in the wireless industry”, explains PA’s Graham Bell. “There is a great deal of technical expertise required to identify truly essential patents and without this kind of activity the industry is left with an unclear picture of who really owns what IP. A number of companies are sitting on IP goldmines out there, even if not in mobile technologies. PA’s IP experts see this and help clients dig that gold out of their IP portfolios and increase their profitability.”

IP management and LTE expertise

PA Consulting Group has been providing independent and practical development expertise in the mobile industry since the inception of GSM, through 3G and LTE. Our engineering team has been actively involved in developing LTE product and services as well as providing advice in Intellectual Property (IP) management.

PA's unique combination of technical understanding and experience in IP management helps potential patent pool members bring clarity to the IP landscape of LTE. Our analysis provides critical input to organisations looking to identify IP assets for submission to the LTE patent pool initiative.