Buy, license or litigate - a game of patent strategy

Abstract

This invention is directed to a game of patents in which patents are bought, licensed and/or litigated to create profitable businesses. More specifically, patents are used by the players to build one or more technologies into a business. The player with the most profitable business at the end of the game is the winner.

1 . A game comprising:
 a patent indicia having an associated cost to purchase and an associated value;   a number generator for generating random numbers;   a currency species for use in playing said game, each player provided with a predetermined amount of currency for playing said game;   each player bidding a number to purchase said patent indicia, said number bid by each said player being a number each said player generates using said number generator, wherein one said number generated by each said player is a winning number, said patent indicia going to said player generating said winning number.   
   
   
       2 . The game of  claim 1  further comprising:
 additional patent indicia, each additional patent indicia having an associated cost to purchase and an associated value, said patent indicia and said additional patent indicia forming a plurality of patent indicia;   said additional patent indicia being played in the same way as said patent indicia;   wherein at the end of play each player adds up each of the associated values of each said patent indicia of said plurality of patent indicia won by each said player, said player with the greatest accumulated value of said plurality of patent indicia winning said game.   
   
   
       3 . The game of  claim 2  wherein a predetermined number of said patent indicia of said plurality of patent indicia are dealt to each said player prior to the start of said game leaving a remaining number of said plurality of patent indicia for bidding play,
 each player bidding a number on each said remaining number of said plurality of patent indicia to purchase said remaining number of said plurality of patent indicia, each said remaining number of patent indicia going to the winning bidder, wherein at the end of play each player adds up each of the associated values of each said patent indicia of said plurality of patent indicia won by each said player, said player with the greatest accumulated value of said plurality of patent indicia winning the game.   
   
   
       4 . The game of  claim 3  wherein said predetermined number of patent indicia dealt each player prior to the start of the game is held by each player face down throughout the play of the game. 
   
   
       5 . The game of  claim 3  wherein said predetermined number of patent indicia comprises five patent indicia. 
   
   
       6 . The game of  claim 2  further comprising a set of control cards, each said control card having a predetermined action for a player to take; wherein the bidding player with the winning bid having the option to purchase the patent indicia or pulling and playing a control card. 
   
   
       7 . The game of  claim 2  further comprising a plurality of strategy cards, each said strategy card having a predetermined action for a player to take; wherein the bidding player with the winning bid having the option to purchase the patent indicia or pulling a strategy card for play in a current or later round of play. 
   
   
       8 . The game of  claim 2  further comprising a set of control cards and a set of strategy cards, each said control card having a predetermined first set of actions for a player take, each said strategy card having a predetermined second set of actions for a player to take, wherein the bidding player with the winning bid having the option to purchase the patent indicia, pulling and playing a control card from said set of control cards, or pulling a strategy card from said set of strategy cards for play in a current or a later round of play. 
   
   
       9 . A game comprising:
 a plurality of patent indicia, each said patent indicia having an associated value; each player provided with one or more patent indicia prior to the start of said game;   a number generator for generating random numbers;   a currency species for use in playing said game, each player provided with a predetermined amount of currency for playing said game;   wherein a player sells an interest in one said patent indicia to an other player, said cost of said interest being determined by a number generated by said number generator.   
   
   
       10 . The game of  claim 9  wherein said interest in his patent indicia being sold is a license under said patent indicia. 
   
   
       11 . The game of  claim 9  wherein said interest in his patent indicia being sold is a sale of the patent indicia to the buying player. 
   
   
       12 . The game of  claim 9  wherein said an other player buying said interest in said patent indicia is determined by a predetermined number generated using said number generator. 
   
   
       13 . The game of  claim 9  wherein said cost of said interest is based on a number generated by said an other player using said number generator. 
   
   
       14 . A game comprising:
 a plurality of patent indicia, each said patent indicia having an associated value; each player provided with one or more patent indicia during the course of said game;   a number generator for generating random numbers;   a currency species for use in playing said game, each player provided with a predetermined amount of currency for playing said game;   wherein a player litigates a patent indicia against an other player, an outcome of said litigation being determined by a number generated by said number generator   
   
   
       15 . The game of  claim 14  wherein said an other player is a player determined by a predetermined number generated using said number generator. 
   
   
       16 . The game of  claim 14  wherein said outcome of said litigation is infringement by said an other player of said patent indicia. 
   
   
       17 . The game of  claim 14  wherein said outcome of said litigation is damages owed by said another player for infringement of said patent indicia. 
   
   
       18 . The game of  claim 15  wherein said damages is based on a number generated by said an other player using said number generator. 
   
   
       19 . The game of  claim 14  wherein said outcome of said litigation is willful infringement by said another player of said patent indicia. 
   
   
       20 . The game of  claim 14  wherein said outcome of said litigation is enhanced damages owed by said another player for willful infringement of said patent indicia. 
   
   
       21 . The game of  claim 14  wherein said outcome of said litigation is an injunction. 
   
   
       22 . A board game comprising:
 a plurality of technology/business spaces arranged along a roadway;   a patent associated with each technology/business space;   one or more game pieces associated with each player for traveling said roadway of technology/business spaces;   a number generator for determining the number of spaces each such player is to advance along said roadway;   a currency species for use by each such player for purchasing patents associated with one or more of said technology/business spaces;   wherein on landing on a technology/business space that is not owned by any other player, said player has a first option to buy said technology/business space or said patent indicia associated with said technology/business space;   wherein on landing on a technology/business space that is owned by said any other player, said player has a second option of play.   
   
   
       23 . The board game of  claim 22  wherein said second option of said player is to license any said patent indicia associated with said technology/business space. 
   
   
       24 . The board game of  claim 22  wherein said second option of said player is to litigate any said patent indicia associated with said technology/business space. 
   
   
       25 . The board game of  claim 22  further comprising a space for take-over of a patent indicia of a target player. 
   
   
       26 . The board game of  claim 24  wherein an order of play for said take-over comprises said player landing on said take-over space making a tender offer for any said patent indicia associated with said technology/business space. 
   
   
       27 . The board game of  claim 25  wherein said order of play for said take-over further comprises said target player preventing said takeover of said target by generating a predetermined number using said number generator. 
   
   
       28 . The board game of  claim 26  wherein said order of play for said take-over further comprises a third player entering said order of play as a white knight, said white knight trumping said tender offer of said take-over player.