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J2 seems to be expanding their patent reach or at least they think they can. My expectation is that the patent courts might make this a short term gig, so anyone applying really should consider the volatility of patent litigation and the fact that a number of their patents could very easily be thrown out and that there are a large number of folks in the industry that have details on priorart that J2 can not beat all the way back to MCI in the 80s. Sadly some of the folks in the industry that have not spoken out that have proof may never, but there is enough data out there to beat them from what I hear and what I understand.  My expectation is that eventually someone is going to challenge them and dig up the right data. What I don’t understand is why the folks that received MCI assets haven’t already shut them down and sued all the players into oblivion.

The patent organization within j2 Global oversees all patent and patent licensing matters for the company. The group is responsible for the licensing of j2 Global�s patents to third parties, as well as analyzing external patents for acquisition and evaluating inventions for potential patent applications. j2 Global�s patent portfolio reflects valuable and diverse set of technologies employed in numerous industries.
This position reports directly to j2 Global�s VP and General Counsel.

Overview of position:

This position provides an excellent opportunity for a registered patent agent, patent attorney or technologist intimately knowledgeable and experienced with patent claim construction, patent infringement analysis and patent litigation to broaden their skill set and responsibilities into the arena of patent licensing. The primary responsibilities of the position include:

• Assessment of patents available for acquisition.
• Point person for internal program for evaluation of internally developed technology for patentability and/or infringement.
• Lead patent licensing programs.
• Oversight of the company�s patent portfolio.
• Liaison with outside patent prosecution attorneys, technical experts, and licensing experts.

Job Duties:

1. Portfolio Development:

• Lead patent-related technology reviews, working with relevant subject matter experts in Product Development, Engineering and Network Operations groups to understand, evaluate and value potential patent applications, patents available for purchase and assessments of infringement of third party patents.
• Lead negotiation of patent purchases, with assistance from VP and General Counsel.

2. Patent Licensing Lead:

• Oversee patent licensing programs, including selection of potential licensees and assistance with negotiations, with support from VP and General Counsel.
• Provide technical support in advising j2 Global�s patent attorneys and licensing professionals, and respond to technical questions of potential licensees regarding the patents and products.

3. Oversight of Patent Portfolio and Related Technology Spaces:

• Maintain intimate knowledge of j2 Global�s patent portfolio and of patenting activities in areas relevant to unified messaging and communications.
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of technologies relevant to j2 Global, including competitor patents in relevant technology areas.

Job Requirements and Experience:  Preferred candidate will be a patent agent or member of the patent bar and have a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science/Physics, though Bachelor’s degree is acceptable in combination with at least 2 years of hands on experience dealing with cutting edge technology.

Candidate must:

• Have strong technical skills and a proven ability to read, understand and evaluate patent claims at a high level.
• Have specific knowledge or work experience in the field of computers, telecommunications, and/or packet networks and protocols and an ability to quickly understand work in the field of unified messaging and communications space.
• Thrive in a patent licensing/acquisition environment that can often be adversarial.
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills with license and patent acquisition targets and with outside patent attorneys, subject matter experts and licensing consultants.
• Understand negotiation techniques and patent license agreement structure and terms and be able to evaluate patents for applicable markets, the size of those markets and the ultimate value of patents and patent licenses.
• Be proactive in terms of achieving goals and objectives and in terms of routinely communicating questions and information to VP and General Counsel in order to coordinate efforts.
• Have a high level of energy and demonstrate enthusiasm and interest in their work.

Source: US-CA-Los Angeles-Sr. Patents Manager