Global patent system rethink is required ahead

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Patent Protection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Consumer Welfare ◽  
Patent System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Patent Pools ◽  
Technology Firms ◽  
Diffusion Of Knowledge ◽  
The Us

Subject Outlook for the global patent system. Significance Innovation and the diffusion of new technology contribute to GDP growth and consumer welfare. Intellectual property rights such as patents are designed to promote innovation by rewarding inventors with a right of exclusion that prevents others from making, selling or using their invention for a fixed period of time, unless they pay a licence fee. Patent registration is increasing rapidly both within advanced and emerging countries, as the latter learn about its value. However, there is a conflict between rewarding innovators with monopoly rights and promoting the diffusion of knowledge at low cost. As more products and techniques are protected by patents, there is concern that the system is inhibiting rather than promoting growth. Impacts The US patent system supports innovation, while the EU system is less clearly defined with unitary patent protection. Licensing will need to be easily obtained at reasonable prices with terms conducive to both technological and business model exploration. Governments and supranational authorities will need to ensure that patent pools can operate within sympathetic but fair antitrust regimes. Regulatory authorities will need to ensure that patent pools cannot become tools for collusive activity by leading technology firms. Firms will need to monitor constantly legislation and judgments relating to their industry in countries in which they operate.

Robotic inspection of ship hull surfaces using a magnetic crawler and a monocular camera

Sensor Review ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annalisa Milella ◽  
Rosalia Maglietta ◽  
Massimo Caccia ◽  
Gabriele Bruzzone
Keyword(s):  
Visual Inspection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Ship Hull ◽  
Inspection System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Monocular Camera ◽  
Mosaic Image ◽  
Automatic Visual Inspection

Purpose Periodic inspection of large tonnage vessels is critical to assess integrity and prevent structural failures that could have catastrophic consequences for people and the environment. Currently, inspection operations are undertaken by human surveyors, often in extreme conditions. This paper aims to present an innovative system for the automatic visual inspection of ship hull surfaces, using a magnetic autonomous robotic crawler (MARC) equipped with a low-cost monocular camera. Design/methodology/approach MARC is provided with magnetic tracks that make it able to climb along the vertical walls of a vessel while acquiring close-up images of the traversed surfaces. A homography-based structure-from-motion algorithm is developed to build a mosaic image and also produce a metric representation of the inspected areas. To overcome low resolution and perspective distortion problems in far field due to the tilted and low camera position, a “near to far” strategy is implemented, which incrementally generates an overhead view of the surface, as long as it is traversed by the robot. Findings This paper demonstrates the use of an innovative robotic inspection system for automatic visual inspection of vessels. It presents and validates through experimental tests a mosaicking strategy to build a global view of the structure under inspection. The use of the mosaic image as input to an automatic corrosion detector is also demonstrated. Practical implications This paper may help to automate the inspection process, making it feasible to collect images from places otherwise difficult or impossible to reach for humans and automatically detect defects, such as corroded areas. Originality/value This paper provides a useful step towards the development of a new technology for automatic visual inspection of large tonnage ships.

The laptop ban will force adjustments by Gulf carriers

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Electronic Devices ◽  
Security Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Low Cost Carriers ◽  
Will Force ◽  
The Uk

Significance Washington and London from March 25 enforced a new requirement that laptops and other electronic devices must be checked into the hold by airlines serving certain Middle Eastern airports. The US restrictions apply, among others, to the 'Gulf Three' carriers -- Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways -- although the UK rule does not. Impacts As Gulf airlines retrench, Airbus could be hit, with slower sales of its A380 'Superjumbo'. Airports may reorganise their security systems to segregate air-side passengers affected by the restrictions from those who are not. UK low-cost carriers (LCCs) and charter airlines will face some difficult choices on charging and turnaround times.

Prospects for the global economy in 2018

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
Industrial Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Open Markets

Subject PROSPECTS 2018: Global economy Significance Global GDP growth is likely to edge higher in 2018 as trade, investment and employment expand. However, monetary policy is gradually tightening, fiscal expansion is limited and there is little chance of a repeat of the surprise boost from trade seen in 2017 or a recovery in productivity. Inflation may remain obdurately low in the United States, Japan and the euro-area but not sufficiently to deter the US Federal Reserve (Fed) and the ECB from gently reeling in their bond-buying programmes. Modestly higher commodity prices should support economic recovery in resource producers. Impacts The timing of elections in the United States, Canada and Mexico may prolong the NAFTA trade talks into 2019 or beyond. China will battle any US attempts to constrain its innovation and access to technology, which it sees as key to its rebalancing. Technological progress and more open markets exacerbate the unpredictability of jobs and wages, but policy will increasingly address this. Automation means the job intensive low-cost industrial growth engine is now less effective; developing countries must consider new models. A better balance of power between multinationals, international organisations and governments will be key to global tax cooperation.

US airline collusion charges could save Open Skies

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Airline Industry ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Predatory Behaviour ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fleet Size ◽  
Us Economy ◽  
The Us ◽  
Low Cost Carrier ◽  
Lock In

Subject Outlook for US investigations into airlines collusion. Significance Three carriers, United, American Airlines and Delta, account for 80% of US domestic air travel; Southwest, the leading low cost carrier (LCC) takes much of the remainder. The Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Department of Transportation (DoT) have both launched major investigations into the pricing practices of the airlines. Both regulatory moves imply that the rationalisation of the US airline industry has left passengers vulnerable to predatory behaviour, which would worsen if the US market were further closed to foreign competition. Impacts Low oil prices may provide a long-term boost to profits if airlines move to lock in new hedges. However, manufacturers will be hit hard by an economic slowdown in China, home of two of the largest airlines by fleet size. Increasing wages elsewhere in the US economy will add further pressure to airline labour costs.

US cities’ housing squeeze may prove hard to solve

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Housing Market ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Housing Price ◽  
Office Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Housing Price Index ◽  
Us Economy ◽  
Safety Risks ◽  
The Us

Subject US housing market. Significance The Case-Shiller 20-city composite housing price index hit a record high in May 2018, surpassing its previous record in 2006. However, unlike the mid-2000s, evidence suggests that the US housing market is not in a national bubble. Instead, prices are high in many cities due to an undersupply of housing. This has wider effects: by one estimate, without current land restrictions on housing development, the US economy would be 9% larger than it is now. Impacts Low-cost cities will increasingly be back-office work destinations. If rents and housing costs keep rising, consumers may make greater use of credit, raising indebtedness risks. Greater reliance on older US housing stock will mean greater maintenance costs and safety risks. The housing debate will largely be a cross-party rather than partisan issue.

US semiconductor measures will hit China’s tech plans

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Equipment ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
Foreign Firms ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Firms ◽  
Semiconductor Chip ◽  
The Us ◽  
Chinese Intellectual ◽  
Trade Shows

Significance It has evolved from US complaints about Chinese intellectual property and technology transfer practices into a broad-spectrum effort to paralyse the further technological and commercial development of Chinese technology firms, and decouple the US and Chinese IT sectors. Its focus has expanded to include the semiconductor chip industry. Impacts Businesses throughout the semiconductor industry worldwide are becoming caught up in a geopolitical clash. The semiconductor trade shows how a once apolitical sector can quickly become politicised, much as medical equipment has been amid COVID-19. China will seek continued access to non-US foreign technologies through regulation of foreign firms within China. To succeed, China’s semiconductor development projects will need to reduce waste and coordinate their efforts better.

Military-civil fusion will strengthen China’s military

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Military Technology ◽  
Scientific Cooperation ◽  
The West ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Firms ◽  
Us Military ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Cost

Significance MCF aims to harness the inventiveness of the country’s private-sector technology firms to strengthen its military capabilities. It is partially based on the US military-industrial complex, but has come to encompass a much broader range of actors and activities. Impacts MCF will come at the cost of greater international tension and less research and scientific cooperation with the West. The already diverse range of actors and activities involved in MCF is likely to expand further. Firms in sectors with little obvious military relevance are potentially vulnerable to sanctions as a result of their involvement with MCF. China’s level of military technology will continue to converge with that of the West.

Implementing card technology in government: different approaches, different outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Palmer ◽  
Mahendra Gupta ◽  
James Brandt
Keyword(s):  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Government ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine plastic and virtual purchasing card use by US Government agencies, with particular focus on how successful implementation might inform governmental entities of potential improvements in the cost, quality and time associated with the digitization of their procure-to-pay processes. Specifically, the paper will: analyze the evolution of card-based payments by US Government agencies, compare the value stream of plastic and virtual cards to governmental entities, analyze the value of card use as a significant and sustainable contributor to greater governmental efficiency and examine the opportunity in the portability of successful card technology implementation strategy. Design/methodology/approach The authors examined data published by the US federal government relating to agency budgets and commercial card use and combining it with industry performance metrics, projected potential savings and efficiencies for the government and its agencies. Findings The US Government acknowledges significant administrative cost savings and cash rebates based on its spending on commercial cards. An analysis of US Government spending indicates that changing patterns of card spending are primarily driven by activities of one agency – the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Through the incorporation of advances in card technology, escalation of transaction amounts and leveraging card spending data transparency, the VA has continued to increase its use of and benefit from card technology, while other agencies have languished. By replication of VA strategy, the US Government at large has the potential for billions in card-related savings. Research limitations/implications The study implies that a large swathe of governmental agencies, after having adopted new technology (e.g. purchasing cards), are hesitant to use the new technology, a problem that afflicts most implementation efforts. Countermeasures to offset agency resistance to change should be considered and deployed. Practical implications Taxpayers demand much of government. The burden of governmental failure to exploit the benefits of innovation (such as card technology) falls on the shoulders of taxpayers. When the government cannot exploit technologies that are commonly used in the private sector, the failure lowers citizen respect for the capability of government employees and the ability of government writ large to solve problems. Social implications Governmental failure to exploit the benefits of technology dispirits the citizenry, yielding a desire for change that may be disproportionate to the problem at hand. Originality/value The study combines General Services Administration, US Treasury and market data points to make a unique assessment of the benefits derived through 20 years of governmental commercial card use.

Corporate life and death: who succumbs, who survives during disruption?

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Blitz
Keyword(s):  
Six Sigma ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Good News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Life And Death ◽  
Us Economy ◽  
Realistic Option ◽  
The Us

Purpose This paper provides a disruption survival guide for companies during times of macro transformation. Design/methodology/approach The research compared the S&P 500 – as proxy for the US economy – from 1996 and 2018. Of companies no longer on the list, 12 died, including two from manufacturing: Bethlehem Steel and Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC). Still, some US manufacturers survived or even thrived during the period. To understand why, the paper compares Bethlehem, which died in 2003, to US Steel, which has survived but was removed from the S&P 500 list in 2014, and to Nucor, which has stayed on the list. POSCO is also used for comparison. The OMC case adds a different industry perspective. Findings The main findings from these cases are as follows: stay fit financially and avoid overreaching in good times, use operation strategies such as Lean and Six Sigma to build a culture of continual innovation and stay close to customers to compete on the basis of differentiation, particularly if competing on price is not a realistic option. The good news is differentiation is possible even in seemingly commoditized sectors like steel. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to the literature on differentiation as a strategy for competing with low-cost disruptors. Practical implications This paper provides insights into the use of Lean, Six Sigma and other strategies for creating a culture of continual innovation among employees, customers, suppliers and other strategic partners. And, building on this culture, to compete on the basis of value-added differentiation, particularly if competing on price is not a realistic option. Originality/value The paper cuts through complex, fast-changing, transformative macro issues – e.g., Chinese competition and trade uncertainties related to new tariffs – and provides practical, timeless insights for navigating in such times. The focus here is on strategies for competing on the basis of value-added differentiation, particularly if competing on price is not a viable option. The good news is such competition is possible even in seemingly commoditized sectors like steel.

Post-grant patent review in China: an empirical analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-375
Author(s):  
Renjun Bian
Keyword(s):  
Patent Protection ◽  
Patent System ◽  
Patent Litigation ◽  
China Trade ◽  
Patent Review ◽  
International Patent ◽  
The Us ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Chinese Patent ◽  
Rational Ignorance

With a series of policies to stimulate innovation and patent activities, China has become a world leader in both patent applications and patent litigation. These major developments, together with the escalated US-China trade tensions, have made China an integral but controversial venue for international patent protection. The Chinese patent system, especially its detailed practice and cases, is in need of a comprehensive empirical study. This article analyzed 8766 Chinese patent invalidity cases decided between 2014 and 2016, which, together with my prior work on patent infringement lawsuits, offers a comprehensive picture on how the bifurcated patent system in China works. First, it found that only a small number, about 2.0 percent, of Chinese patents are ever subject to infringement or invalidity disputes, shedding light on the patent office's rational ignorance of a patent's validity at first place. Second, it found that the invalidity rate for invention patents in China (54.6%) was lower than in many other countries, such as the US (83.9%) and Germany (73%), indicating that the Chinese patent system is more pro-patentee than once believed. Third, it raised the question of Chinese patents’ quality based on various characteristics of these cases, including patent types and petitioners’ entity status.

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