![Analysis Part I – IoT layer assignment
IPC class Name of the class
Assigned IoT
layer
A47J
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE
MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
Physical Layer
B01F
MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING,
DISPERSING
H05B
ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT
OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
A23L
FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES, THEIR PREPARATION OR
TREATMENT,
F16C
SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; MECHANICAL MEANS
FOR TRANSMITTING MOVEMENT IN A FLEXIBLE
SHEATHING; ELEMENTS OF CRANKSHAFT
MECHANISMS; PIVOTS; PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS;
ROTARY ENGINEERING ELEMENTS OTHER THAN
GEARING, COUPLING, CLUTCH OR BRAKE
ELEMENTS; BEARINGS [5]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/masterthesis-201201170216/75/Thesis-Defence-Leonhard-Brader-16-2048.jpg)
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Thesis Defence Leonhard Brader
- 1. CEIPI Master of IntellectualProperty Law and Management ANALYSIS OF A CHANGING PATENT INFRINGEMENT RISK SITUATION IN A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SCENARIO Master Thesis submitted by Leonhard Brader © 2020 CEIPI MIPLM, Strasbourg
- 2. Content • Patent infringement •Internet of Things (IoT) • Patent infringement risk analysis • Analysis Part I • Analysis Part II • Applicability of Analysis • Conclusion
- 3. Patent infringement • Patentlaw is territorial law. International harmonisations as TRIPS, EPC etc. • Focus on exemplaric regulations from TRIPS EPC PatG • Patentable subjects? • in all fields of technology, • provided that they are new, • involve an inventive step • are capable of industrial application. (TRIPS Art 27, EPC Art 52) • Term of patent protection: period of twenty years counted from the filing date (TRIPS Art 33) All technical industry products, that were new and inventive the last 20 years can possibly be patent protected, today. • Right of the patent owner • prevent third parties from the acts of: making, using, offering for sale, selling, or importing (TRIPS Art 28 (1)) • Claims of patent owner against infringer are typically (PatG): • Stop infringement • Get damages if infringement is commmited careless or intentional (PatG Art 139) • Exclusive right to license Sources: World Trade Organisation, TRIPS Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights European patetn convention EPC Deutsches Patentgesetz PatG
- 4. Patent infringement -Infringers perspective • Patent infringement with or without awareness • In worst case stopping infringement • stop making, using, offering for sale, selling, or importing of features or products • of using the processes, potentially relevant in value creation (TRIPS Art 28 (1)) • Potentially damages or a subsequent license contract • Infringer strong dependent on patent owner, wich has the exclusive right to give a license for a patent (TRIPS Art 28 (2)) • Except FRAND -> costs • Except Compulsory license Sources: World Trade Organisation, TRIPS Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
- 5. Internet of Things(IoT) • IoT enabler of indsutry 4.0 and digitalisation of products next to Big Data, Cloud computing, Aritificial intelligence etc. • IoT enables real world objects with speech, vision, hearing, smell, and touch, so inanimate things can perform jobs more accurately and responsively collaboratively and with learning -> enables products to provide additional customer benefits • IoT architecture • Physical layer, perception layer, transmission layer, computation layer and application layer • Interaction of technologies in different layers Source: Amy J.C. Trappey et al. A review of essential standards and patent landscapes for the Internet of Things: A key enabler for Industry 4.0 2017
- 6. Internet of Things(IoT) • Application Layer • Computation Layer • Transmission Layer • Perception Layer • Physical Layer Source: Wurzer MIPLM 2020 Strategy Development Amy J.C. Trappey et al. A review of essential standards and patent landscapes for the Internet of Things: A key enabler for Industry 4.0 2017
- 7. Internet of Things(IoT) Vorwerk Thermomix TM31 • the last „offline“ Version • launched 2004 Vorwerk Thermomix TM6 physical product • physical product • Wifi Interface • Touch display, • launched 2019 On the first view a quite similar physical product, but…. Source: Vorwerk website Internet
- 8. Internet of Things(IoT) • Additional customer benefits and differentiation criteria in TM6 • Provided by additional digital functionalities • Provided by technologies of the additional layers Source: Vorwerk product video, youtube
- 9. Patent infringement riskanalysis • Does the digital transformation to an IoT solution change the patent infringement risk situation for the providing company? • Exemplary analysis of Thermomix • Why is Thermomix suitable as analysis example? • Thermomix represents an Internet of Things concept -> layer model applicable • Information about point in time of digital transformation of Thermomix available • Differentiation criteria mainly outside the physical product (-> patented by Vorwerk) • Patents regarding physical exist before digital transformation Source: Wurzer et al. Vorwerk Thermomix Case Study
- 10. Patent infringement riskanalysis • Methodology • Part I • Comparison of the Patentportfolio of Vorwerk before and after 2004 • Identification of additional patented technologies of Vorwerk • Mapping of additional technologies to Interent of Things layers • Verification of Thermomix relevance with example patents • Part II • Confirmation of technology relevance with citation analysis • Analysis of regions covering additional technologies • Size of additional technology fields • Filing dynamic in additional technology fields • Owner structue in additional technology fields
- 11. Patent infringement riskanalysis • Strasbourg 1971 • Technological classification of patents • Assigned by patent office • Multiple assignment per patent possible • Folder structure Source: Espacent, European patent office • IPC Classification
- 12. Analysis Part I- Dataset Data set definition Search Database Questel Orbit Search Date 20.08.2020 Assignee Vorwerk Keywords in Fulltext* Kitchen or cook* or recipe Publication date Before and after 01.01.2004
- 13. Analysis Part I– Portfolio comparison 0 5 10 15 20 25 A47J H02K A47L A23G B02C B05B B22D B65H D06F F04D F24C G01C G01G Thermomix patent potfolio before 01.01.2004 KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEEMILLS; SPICEMILLS; APPARATUSFORMAKINGBEVERAGES Dynamoelectricmachines Noise of dataset: DOMESTIC WASHING OR SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- 14. Analysis Part I– Portfolio comparison IPC class Denomination of the IPC class Assigned number of patents in class A47J KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES 23 H02K Dynamo electric machines 6 A47L DOMESTIC WASHING OR SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL noise A23G COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF 1 B02C CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN 1 B05B SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES 1 B22D CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES 1 B65H HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES 1 D06F LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES noise F04D NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS 1 F24C OTHER DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION 2 G01C MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY 1 G01G WEIGHING 2 G01K MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY- SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR 1
- 15. Analysis Part I– Portfolio comparison Assignable to additional IoT layers Noise of Dataset, DOMESTIC WASHING OR SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL Assignable to physical layers ?
- 16. Analysis Part I– IoT layer assignment IPC class Name of the class Assigned IoT layer A47J KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES Physical Layer B01F MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING H05B ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR A23L FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, F16C SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; MECHANICAL MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING MOVEMENT IN A FLEXIBLE SHEATHING; ELEMENTS OF CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; PIVOTS; PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS; ROTARY ENGINEERING ELEMENTS OTHER THAN GEARING, COUPLING, CLUTCH OR BRAKE ELEMENTS; BEARINGS [5]
- 17. Analysis Part I- IoT layer assignment IPC class Name of the class Assigned IoT layer G05D SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES Perception Layer G05B CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS Perception Layer G08C TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS Transmission Layer H04L TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION Transmission Layer G06F ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING Computation Layer
- 18. Analysis Part I- Verification • Verification with example patents of the new identified classes • Perception Layer • EP3206096 • Title: CONTROLLING FOOD PROCESSING STEPS OF A MULTI-FUNCTION COOKING APPARATUS AND REMOTE KITCHEN APPLIANCES • IPC group: G05D 23 SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES Control of temperature -> Physical product multi-function cooking apparatus as actuator • EP3269280 • Title: CONTROLLING MULTI-FUNCTION COOKING APPARATUSES • IPC group: G05B 15 CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS Systems controlled by a computer -> Physical product multi-function cooking apparatus as actuator and sensor
- 19. Analysis Part I- Verification • Transmission Layer • EP3186899, • Title: SYSTEM COMPRISED OF AN ELECTRICAL KITCHEN APPLIANCE AND AN ADD-ON MODULE • IPC group G08C 17 TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS, Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link -> Exchange of data with a kitchen machine • EP2801928 • Title: METHOD FOR COPY-PROTECTED STORAGE OF INFORMATION ON A DATA CARRIER • IPC group H04L 29 TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION Systems controlled by a computer -> Copy protected data transfer to household appliance
- 20. Analysis Part I- Verification • Computation Layer • EP3590393 • Title: METHOD FOR DIGITIZING A COOKING PROCESS, KITCHEN APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR DIGITIZING A COOKING PROCESS • IPC group:G06F-016 ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor -> Information data processing regarding cooking process • New identified classes and assignement to IoT Layers verified with example patents covering Thermomix TM5 or TM6 functionalities.
- 21. Analysis Part I- Result • New IPC classes identified where Vorwerk filed for their digtial transformed products TM5 and TM6 • Relevance of example patents for TM5 or TM6 verified -> Additional digital technology used in TM5 and TM6 located in identified classes -> New identified classes (not visible before 2004) contain potentially patent infringement relevant third party patents IPC class Name of the class Assigned IoT layer G05D SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES Perception Layer G05B CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS Perception Layer G08C TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS Transmission Layer H04L TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION Transmission Layer G06F ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING Computation Layer
- 22. Analysis Part II– Citation analysis • Citation Analysis of Example patents, cited and citing patents • Citation performed by Patent Owner, Examiner or Third party applicant • Patents with focus in direction kitchen machine visible • Patents with general aspects of IoT layers as sensor and actuator technology, information and communication technology or data processing visible • Confirms that additional IPC classes and IPC groups describe additional area in patent literature, where additional potentially relevant patents regarding Thermomix are located.
- 23. Analysis Part II– Size of relevant area IPC class Layer Number of patents A47J-043 Physical Layer 69.281 G05D-023 Perception Layer 74.873 G05B-015 Perception Layer 33.437 G08C-017 Transmission Layer 80.191 H04L-029 Transmission Layer 478.598 G06F-016 Computation Layer 119.882 • Main IPC groups of physical device compared to additional groups based on example patents
- 24. Analysis Part II– Filing Dynamic • Taking 18 month non disclosure in regard • G05B-015 (Perception Layer) and H04L-029 (Transmission Layer) had a maximum in 2015 and in 2016 and following slight lower numbers. • G06F-016 (Computation Layer) had until 2014 low numbers, strong increased until 2018 to nearly 40000. • Overall growing tendency of the additional identified IPC groups based on example patents
- 25. Analysis Part II– Patent owner • A47J-43 1. Joyoung 2. Shaoxing Supor Domestic Electrical Appliance 3. Midea • Domestic appliance provider, including Vorwerk place 10. • G05D-23 1. Hitachi 2. Toshiba 3. Mitsubishi Electric • Big technology companies, Midea 7. • G05B-15 1. Panasonic 2. Honeywell 3. Toshiba • Big technology companies outside domestic appliance market
- 26. Analysis Part II– Patent owner • G08C-017 • State Grid Corporation of China • Siemens • Samsung Electronics • H04L-029 • Huawei • IBM • ZTE • G06F-016 • Alibaba Holding • IBM • Tencent Technology
- 27. Analysis Part II- Result • Field of possible relevant patents significant extended • Based on example patents, increasing by factors and growing • For completeness further research neccessary • New patent owners • Big technology companies outside domestic appliance market
- 28. Applicability of analysis •Internet of Things concept • real world product • additional digital technologies • Technology of additional layers different to technology of physical product • Limits • Analysis not valid for products including already IoT layer technology in physical product. • Example: Mobile Communication Tester • Technology of transmission layer already included in physical product.
- 29. Conclusion • Increased patentinfringement risk, due to significant increased technological areas in patent literature • Increased patent infringement risk management effort • Identification • Extended search field • Potentially more relevant patents identifiable, in additional fields • Evaluation • Increased number of patents • Unknown or new patent owner • Risk control • Increased number of patents • Unknown or new patent owner • Avoiding of economic damage and Freedom to operate • Big new patent owner • Further research neccesary for organisation of significant increased patent infringement risk management. Source: DIN 77006
- 30. Conclusion • Examples forinfluence on strategic positioning in industry • Risk that competitive forces are increased due to increased patent infringement risk -> risk of lower profitbility. • Higher risk for… • Increased bargaining power of customer – exclusive USP available? • Increased threat or substitute products – increased costs for estalished product • Increased threat of suppliers – interoperability with communication standard • Increased threat of new entrant – patent infringement as lever reducing or removing entry barrier • Increased bargaining power of complementor – forced cooperation, share in cooperation Increased threat of rivalry of direct competitors – differentitation criteria exclusive available -> minor increased risk of threat based on direct competitiors patent portfolio (as long as the big technology companies are not direct competitors) • For a complete industry analysis including the role of the new patent owners is further information and reseach neccessary Source: Wurzer MIPLM 2020, Strategy Deveopment Michael E. Porter, The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy, 2006
- 31. Conclusion Patent infringment risksas growing future challenge for companies transforming to digital business models. Thank you.