Updating the Antitrust Guidelines for Licensing Intellectual Property

9/9/16:  Antitrust guidelines might not be the most exciting topic, but intellectual property is definitely the most exciting – and valuable – asset of many companies.  Recently, the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission asked for public comment on a proposed update of the Antitrust Guidelines for the Licensing of Intellectual Property (also known as the IP Licensing Guidelines).  The original guidelines, which established the agencies’ enforcement policies, were issued in 1995.  It’s definitely time for an update to policies relating to the licensing of intellectual property protected by patent, copyright and trade secret law.