All in the Family | Intellectual Property, Fall 2016

Technology companies routinely conduct patent sales, whether through high-profile auctions like the one recently proposed by Yahoo, or as part of ordinary-course asset divestitures. There are many considerations to address when conducting a patent sale to ensure that both the buyer and seller realize maximum value from the transaction; however, one issue in particular that is sometimes overlooked is the importance of assessing the so-called patent families that constitute the patent portfolio for sale.