(ip) hub master plan - Ministry of Law

A. Marketplace elements, including:
Section 3.2.
Middlemen or brokers
Marketplace platforms
Emergent marketplace functions
B. IP financing options, including:
Section 3.3.
IP-backed loans
IP securitisation
IP funds
C. IP valuation and other supporting services Section 3.4.
3.2. MARKETPLACE ELEMENTS
A. Middlemen or Brokers
3.2.1. IP intermediaries are crucial to any marketplace, performing the integral function
of a middleman to connect IP rights holders with potential buyers of IP, and
enabling the brokering, including the sale, licensing or acquisition, of IP. Their
involvement is critical, since IP transactions are often strategic corporate activities
where buyers (and potentially sellers) would require anonymity to safeguard the
confidentiality of corporate strategies. Thus, brokers are essential to front and
structure the transaction and licensing deals, provide specialised ancillary services,
and use their networks and know-how to match buyers and sellers in an
increasingly complex technology and IP landscape. Given that a great volume of
transactions is cross-border in nature, a global network of middlemen would be
even more important.
Recommendation 1-1
Attract top, international IP intermediaries to facilitate IP transactions through
incentive schemes.
3.2.2. The Committee is of the view that IP intermediaries are required to “gel” the
marketplace together, since IP intermediaries would have an intrinsic incentive to
stimulate and seek out IP transactions. IP owners also engage their services for the
strategic management of IP portfolios. Through incentive schemes that are
customised to the different IP intermediary models, Singapore should aim to bring
in the top, international IP intermediaries, particularly firms that would inject new
and specialised capabilities into the local IP ecosystem. This is opportune since
these firms would also require an Asian base to service and grow their clientele.
We can also consider ways in which the intermediaries in Singapore can be better
organised. For example, the industry could develop a transactional rulebook, to
promote consistency and best practices and encourage more IP transactions to
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