Funding Acquisition of University and Non-Profit Patent Portfolios

Abstract

A method for funding IP procurement for non-profits such as universities and other non-profits that conduct research, includes providing a fund to hold interests in intellectual properties of a non-profit organization, receiving investments from investors to add to the fund to fund acquisition of intellectual properties of the non-profit, by machine, storing information regarding the investments, intellectual properties, and the investors into a database and distributing shares in the fund according to the value of investments made in the fund.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing a fund to hold interests in intellectual properties of a non-profit organization;   receiving investments from investors to add to the fund to fund acquisition of intellectual properties of the non-profit;   by machine, storing information regarding the investments, intellectual properties, and the investors into a database;   distributing shares in the fund according to the value of investments made in the fund.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein distributing distributes shares in the fund the non-profit, and the method further comprises:
 valuing the shares of the fund according to a value of assets in the fund; and   redeeming shares in the fund by the non-profit based on the valuation of the shares in the fund.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprises:
 donating investor shares in the fund to the non-profit; 
 receiving a confirmation of the donation; and 
 by machine, storing information pertaining to the donation in the database, to reduce the number of shares in the fund held by investors. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the intellectual properties are patents. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 by machine executing a valuation program to value shares in the fund. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 generating an agreement between the investor and the university, the agreement being a legally binding document; and 
 by machine, storing the agreement in electronic form in a database. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein producing the fund produces a first fund to fund intellectual properties procurement over a specified first time period, the method further comprising
 producing additional funds that hold corresponding additional interests in additional intellectual properties of the non-profit organization obtained over corresponding, additional subsequent time periods; and 
 by machine, storing information pertaining to the funds in a database. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein valuing comprises:
 by machine, determining a valuation of shares in the fund based on assets in the fund by executing a valuation model that applies valuation principles to the assets in the fund; and 
 reporting information concerning the value of fund shares to investors in the fund. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising generating reports that renders information that comprises:
 the fund for which an investor has invested; 
 a valuation of the shares in the fund; 
 changes in ownership of shares in the fund; and 
 profits generated by sales and/or licensing of intellectual properties in the fund. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein tax deductions accrue for the investor after receiving shares in the fund. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 donating shares in the fund immediately after investing by the investor, wherein tax deductions are based on an initial valuation of the shares in the fund that is related to the initial investment made by the investor. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2  wherein interests in the intellectual properties of the fund are a right to receive royalties from licensing the intellectual properties. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the non-profit organization is a college or university. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2  wherein tax deductions can be taken by the investor after donating shares in the fund to the non-profit, based on a valuation that is determined at the time of donating the shares in the fund to the non-profit. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 donating shares in the fund after investing by the investor, wherein tax deductions are based on an initial valuation of the shares in the fund that is related to the initial investment made by the investor. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 donating shares in the fund after acquisition of intellectual property assets in the fund and after a valuation of the fund that is subsequent to the initial evaluation of the shares in the fund, and wherein tax deductions are based on the subsequent valuation of the shares in the fund and which is related to a value ascribed to assets in the fund. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein donating is a donation of the shares by an investor to the non-profit. 
     
     
         18 . A system for administering a funding mechanism for funding IP protection for a non-profit, the system comprising:
 at least one client computer configured to receive information regarding:   a fund to hold interests in intellectual properties of a non-profit organization;   investments from investors to add to the fund to fund acquisition of intellectual properties of the non-profit; and   to store information regarding the investments, intellectual properties, and the investors into a database.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  further comprises:
 a set of computer instructions to determine a valuation of shares in the fund based on assets in the fund, the set of computer instructions comprises a valuation model that applies valuation principles to the assets in the fund to determine the valuation of the fund shares. 
 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  further comprises:
 a set of computer instruction to report information concerning the value of fund shares to investors in the fund. 
 
     
     
         21 . A computer readable medium tangibly embodying a computer program product comprising instructions stored thereon, for administering a fund that funds acquisition of intellectual properties of a non-profit, and, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
 access information regarding a fund that holds interests in intellectual properties of a non-profit organization, investments from investors that are added to the fund to fund acquisition of intellectual properties of the non-profit; and   determine a valuation of shares in the fund based on assets in the fund.   
     
     
         22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21  further comprises instructions to:
 report information concerning the value of fund shares to investors in the fund. 
 
     
     
         23 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21  further comprises instructions to:
 execute a valuation model that applies valuation principles to the assets in the fund to determine the valuation of the fund.