Legal funder GLS Capital has announced plans to finance a licensing and enforcement campaign for patents owned by Asustek Computer Inc. The patents are related to cellular networks—specifically 3G, 4G, and 5G tech.
An LFJ Conversation with Michael Kelley, Partner, Parker Poe
Legal funder GLS Capital has announced plans to finance a licensing and enforcement campaign for patents owned by Asustek Computer Inc. The patents are related to cellular networks—specifically 3G, 4G, and 5G tech.
Bloomberg Law details that the patents in question are owned by Asus and Innovative Sonic Ltd, which was developed in 2006 as a trust company to hold patent assets. While the exact terms are undisclosed, GLS Capital has a financial stake in the patent enforcement campaign and will receive a portion of the award if successful.
GLS Capital is run by three former employees of funding giant Burford Capital. Patent disputes are particularly attractive to funders because of the potential for very high awards—sometimes 2-3 times their initial investment. At the same time, the non-recourse nature of litigation funding means that funders take on significant risk.
This arrangement demonstrates the maturation of legal funding as an industry, and illustrates a growing acceptance in the global market.
