IP licenser endures down year, sees revenue growth ahead

IP licenser endures down year, sees revenue growth ahead
By Peter Clarke, Semiconductor Business News
May 29, 2003 (11:02 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20030529S0013

LONDON — BTG plc, formerly British Technology Group, which tries to make money out of managing intellectual property, reported a loss of £36.58 million (about $60.0 million) on sales revenue of £31.53 million (about $51.8 million) in the year to March 31.

Revenue was down compared with the 2002 financial year when BTG sold £33.5 million (about $54.4 million) and losses were up from £22.75 million (about $37.3 million).

Among the patent portfolios administered by BTG is one covering multi-level memory cells. One of the year's highlights was Hitachi's acknowledgement of BTG's presence in the IP management market. It signed a sub-license for the multi-level cell, BTG said.

Commercialization of a patent relating to GSM, GPRS and third- generation mobile communications, upheld last year by the European Patent Office, but subject to appeal, has progressed. BTG is now litigating against selected targets, with a hearing in Germany scheduled for January 2004, the company said.