by Elisa Cooper, VP of Marketing, Lecorpio
Intellectual property (IP) is a field of fierce competition, and only the strong – and efficient – survive. Companies must be smarter, faster and more nimble than their rivals, especially when it comes to the patent prosecution process.
Box Inc, the online file-sharing and cloud-based content management service, has grown quickly in recent years, despite facing tough competitors in the enterprise content management and collaboration space. One reason why Box has been able to survive and flourish despite formidable competition is its ability to innovate consistently. IP development is central to Box’s corporate strategy. As Box’s inventors and lawyers move large volumes of innovation through the patent prosecution process, the company must make that process as streamlined and efficient as possible.
Duo Chen, Director of Intellectual Property at Box, recently conducted a search for a cloud-based solution to help her department gain more control over its IP management process. She wanted to transform a manual process that used Excel spreadsheets by adopting a state-of-the-art cloud-based solution that would provide centralized access to all IP data and greater insight, analytics and reporting for the company’s lawyers, inventors and executives.
After considering three finalists, Duo and Box’s General Counsel, Peter McGoff, selected Lecorpio, the leader in cloud-based enterprise intellectual property (IP) management and analytics solutions. Lecorpio’s Elisa Cooper, VP of Marketing interviewed Duo about why Box selected Lecorpio and what benefits Box stands to realize once Lecorpio is implemented.
Elisa: Can you tell me about your role at Box?
Duo: As the Director of Intellectual Property, I manage the IP program for Box. The majority of my time is spent managing the patent portfolio and patent strategy. I’m also an attorney.
E: Box is growing so quickly. How would you describe the current positioning of the company?
D: We’re the leading next-generation enterprise content management and collaboration platform. We have more than 40 million users and more than 50,000 business customers, including 52% of the Fortune 500. Box is used across all different kinds of companies and industries, from financial services to media and entertainment, to healthcare, retail and construction, just to name a few.
E: To what extent is IP a business advantage at Box?
D: We’re a technology company so we’re in the business of inventing and creating. We want to ensure that our innovation is being protected. Our pursuit of IP is critically important to our success.
E: What is your patent process? Who’s involved?
D: Box is a company with a lot of innovation, and we’re establishing a structured process on an international scale. We leverage outside counsel in the US and in Europe as well. We’re actively filing patents worldwide. Our global patent filing strategy is aligned with our business strategy. Right now, the main focus is on Europe, and we’re extending into Asia as well.
E: What prompted you to look for an IP management solution?
D: Before selecting Lecorpio, we used Excel spreadsheets for tracking disclosures from inventors. It was more of a manual process. The tipping point was my arrival at Box roughly six months ago. They brought me on board to create greater control over patent filings and a more organized, streamlined process as our company grows.
E: What were the key criteria in your search?
D: We were looking for a cloud-based system that was easy to use, and a solution that would grant everyone in the company easy access to all data.
E: As a cloud-based provider yourselves, was it important to have a cloud-based solution?
D: Yes. Lecorpio’s cloud-based solution is well-suited to our size and available resources.
E: How did you first hear about Lecorpio, and who was involved in selecting it?
D: Lecorpio was recommended to me by someone at Google. My general counsel and I reviewed the systems and their respective costs. I had some experience working with other vendors in the past, and only three made it to the final cut.
E: What were the key reasons that you selected Lecorpio?
D: We selected Lecorpio because it is cloud-based and it’s easy to navigate the user interface. Lecorpio provides detailed analytics and insight into the IP management process, as well as a dashboard that relays key data to management. Lecorpio’s solution will allow us to meet management’s need for a better view of our portfolio, increased coverage, and filings from different organizations. We can give inventors direct access to the status of their patents. Finally, Lecorpio’s cost was well-suited to the size of our company.
E: What do you expect to accomplish by implementing Lecorpio?
D: Lecorpio’s solution will help us to better control our patent process and increase our organization. We will be able to continue to provide our customers with cutting-edge technology.