Finding licensees for your IP is a challenge in any environment, but in a recession it can seem more like waiting for lightning to strike — and about as likely. The key to sniffing out deals in a down economy, according to one IP consultant, is taking a proactive approach and increasing your odds by employing patent analytics. Matt Troyer, vice president of innovation at the full-service IP firm TAEUS International Corp., based in Colorado Springs, CO, says leveraging patent data is a key way for TTOs to identify licensing prospects for their IP portfolios. But patent analytics do have certain limitations, he acknowledges. “No. 1, they’re only going to target licensees who have patents in the particular area of your target patent. For example, you’re not going to find small start-ups that don’t have patent portfolios” but which might be interested in the IP you’re working with. “You’re also not going to find larger companies that may have patent portfolios but are conducting a ‘black hat’ or a ‘skunk works’ project” in an area they have not yet exploited. However, patent analytics are “the best place to start generating leads,” Troyer insists, because the processes are automated or semi-automated and “relatively fast.” A detailed article on effectively using patent analytics to identify prospects and target IP marketing efforts appears in the December issue of Technology Transfer Tactics. To get access to this complete article and become a subscriber, including access to the entire archive of back issues, CLICK HERE.