Editorial -Stepping Through The Looking Glass

Andrew Updegrove, Partner, Gesmer Updegrove LLP

3/04/2008
(Original Publish Date: 1/2/2007)

The greatest challenge that newcomers to the standards world must face is grasping the reality that success is about giving away rights in some technology in order to make money on other technology. This means that those who would form a new consortium must enter into a sort of "through the looking glass" world where patents are impediments rather than tools, royalties are unwanted encumbrances, licenses exist for the sake of disclaiming rights, and collaborating with competitors is as essential as working with partners.