28:
143:
Mosaid was something of a "conglomerate", a company operating a newly formed patent licensing division, as well as two other older product based divisions. These two product based divisions had formed Mosaid's core business for over two decades with the patent business being a relatively newer business.
234:
In
November of the same year, WiLAN began a company-wide restructuring to more closely focus on patent monetization and licensing patent portfolios owned and developed by other companies. As part of WiLAN's restructuring, it was announced that Skippen would remain as WiLAN's CEO for at least another
162:
Since its founding in 1992 until 2006, WiLAN was a technology research and development company based in
Calgary that owned a handful of valuable wiFI and wMAX wireless patents. However, since the dot com bust in 2000, WiLAN had experienced deteriorating success as a company. By 2006, WiLAN had only
185:
Five months after meeting with Nokia, Skippen and WiLAN signed a $ 49.2-million licensing deal with Nokia. It was a deal that achieved a number of goals. Most importantly, successfully signing a patent agreement with a company as large as Nokia showed investors and those in the technology industry
146:
Early on in his ten-year tenure with Mosaid, Skippen had a "realization" that enforcing patented technology could be a lucrative business venture. As his time with Mosaid continued, Skippen became increasingly convinced that licensing technology patents and protecting against infringement of these
263:
From 2005 to 2011, Skippen served as a board member of Icron
Technologies Inc., assisting the tech company in its Intellectual Property licensing program. Skippen is a member of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATAAlliance). Skippen is a member of the Licensing Executives Society and is
222:
Besides leading WiLAN in increasing patent litigations, Skippen also led in expanding WiLAN's portfolio of patents. In 2007, WiLAN owned and licensed out approximately 150 patents. By 2012, Skippen had led in expanding WiLAN's portfolio to include more than 3,000 technology patents. Today, WiLAN
154:-based technology firm called WiLAN. Skippen saw the value in WiLAN's patent portfolio and had Mosaid try to purchase the portfolio. The purchase attempt was unsuccessful, but Skippen left an indelible impression on WiLAN's board of directors, and the attempt would prove significant in other ways.
170:
On June 17, 2006, Skippen formally became WiLAN's new chief executive officer. Given how uncertain WiLAN's future was as a company, Skippen remarked that when he accepted the position as CEO, he told his wife that "in six months could be presiding over a bankruptcy". But, if it worked out, it
254:
Over the years, Skippen has defended many times in the media a company's right to defend the patented technology it owns and defend this technology, if need be, through litigation. Skippen has stated his belief that purchasing patents or transferring the ownership of patents from one party to
142:
Prior to
Skippen joining the company, Mosaid had begun licensing its computer memory patents to third parties. As senior vice president of patent licensing and general counsel, Skippen was in charge of expanding Mosaid's efforts in licensing its technology. However, as Skippen has described,
138:
In 1996, after roughly a decade of working as a commercial lawyer in private practice, Skippen joined Mosaid
Technologies Inc. Skippen held a number of titles at Mosaid, with the last one being the company's senior vice president of patent licensing and general counsel. At the time of Skippen's
147:
patents should be Mosaid's core business, not developing and marketing new technologies. It was a point of view made stronger as
Skippen saw that an increasing portion of Mosaid's roughly $ 60 million in annual revenues was being generated by the patent division's royalty deals.
127:, then called Borden & Elliott. Skippen worked in the computer and technology law division at Borden & Elliott. Skippen's responsibilities included executing patent and technology transfers and completing corporate legal work for various technology companies.
166:
Recalling the impression
Skippen left with WiLAN's directors and knowing Skippen's experience in patent licensing, WiLAN approached Skippen with an offer to lead the company and help WiLAN transform into a significant player in the growing patent licensing business.
94:. Skippen has over two decades of experience in intellectual property and patent licensing. Since 2006, Skippen's leadership at WiLAN has been credited in helping reshape the firm's focus from technology research and development to patent licensing monetization.
113:
After his studies at the
University of Ottawa in the Faculty of Administration, Skippen chose to study law, attending law school at the University of Ottawa in 1983. Skippen became interested in focusing on technology law while studying at the university.
255:
another should not discount an entity's ability to defend patent infringement. Skippen has also stated that a patent system and a company or individual's right to defend its intellectual property spurs innovation and encourages small inventors.
163:
a handful of employees left on its staff, and the company's leadership was looking for a more successful business model. In 2006, WiLAN's leadership decided that it would transform the company into a "pure play" patent licensing company.
275:
Over the years, Skippen has been the recipient of a number of awards. In 2001, Skippen was a recipient of a Forty Under 40 Award by the Ottawa
Business Journal. In 2011, Skippen was named the Canadian Tech Stock Executive of the Year by
238:
Skippen serves as president and chief executive officer of WiLAN. In 2017, Skippen was named executive chairman of
Quarterhill, a company formed from WiLAN in June of that year and which invests in companies operating in the industrial
219:, in defense of WiLAN's patents. Skippen would defend WiLAN's ongoing use of litigation to protect its patents and has been quoted in saying that WiLAN is "seeking fair compensation for investment in research and development."
189:
In December 2006, Skippen led in raising additional cash for WiLAN by selling 6.7 million common shares in the company. Strategically, this was a move that would provide WiLAN more leverage to enforce its portfolio of patents.
122:
After completing his studies at the University of Ottawa, Skippen practiced law, first as an associate of Fraser Mann, a technology transfer specialist. Skippen then practiced at one of Canada's largest law firms,
174:
Along with accepting the new position, Skippen requested that WiLAN move its headquarters from Calgary to Ottawa, in part to take advantage of the more robust technology and intellectual property talent in Ottawa.
231:
In June 2015, Skippen announced publicly that he was retiring from serving as chief executive of WiLAN to "spend more time with my family and to focus on completing some other projects".
204:
Also in 2007, Skippen and his senior management team increasingly focused on sourcing new technology patents to purchase as a way to expand WiLAN's new patent monetization efforts.
794:
721:
201:
Aided by the Nokia deal, by January 2007, Skippen had led WiLAN through a recovery and the company had become the second most valuable tech firm in Ottawa.
844:
235:
three years. The company restructuring and announcement of Skippen's retirement delay was treated positively from capital analysts like Paradigm.
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413:
264:
also a member of the Executive for the Ottawa Technology Law Group. Skippen is also a former chairman of the Toronto Computer Lawyers Group.
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478:
641:
872:
150:
In 2005, approximately half a year before making a significant career change, Skippen had a chance to review the patent portfolio of a
744:
729:
667:
139:
arrival at Mosaid, the Ottawa-based firm was a technology company working in various forms of computer memory technology.
508:
696:
246:
Skippen will retire from his positions as Executive Chairman of Quarterhill and interim CEO of WiLAN in August 2018.
612:
579:
443:
932:
668:"Wi-Lan Inc. (NASDAQ:WILN) CEO Jim Skippen On Relationships With Samsung, Panasonic, Freescale Semiconductor Ltd"
769:
315:
549:
937:
182:
Corporation and ask Nokia to complete a licence to use WiLAN's portfolio of wireless technology patents.
124:
207:
By 2008, Skippen and WiLAN had launched lawsuits against 22 name-brand technology companies, including
198:
By January 2007, Skippen had completed talks with 10 corporations about setting up royalty agreements.
107:
240:
178:
Nearly a week after becoming WiLAN's CEO, Skippen traveled to Helsinki, Finland to meet with the
444:""Odds of success are just too small now" for licensors, says outgoing WiLAN CEO Jim Skippen"
348:
216:
90:'s board of directors, and former president and CEO of Canadian patent monetization firm,
904:
584:
277:
130:
Skippen entered Borden & Elliott as an associate and worked his way up to partner.
926:
267:
Skippen is a former vice-chairman and director of the Canadian Diabetes Association.
795:"Icron Technologies reports James Skippen's resignation from its Board of Directors"
819:
87:
75:
349:"Wi-Lan left Alberta to make it big in Ottawa. Will other tech start-ups stay?"
208:
110:
in the Faculty of Administration, focusing on computer science and business.
48:
288:
Skippen lives in Ottawa, Canada. Skippen is married and has two children.
27:
845:"Canadian Diabetes Association Annual Report September 2002 - August 2003"
414:"Branham300 Executive Interview - Jim Skippen, President & CEO, WiLAN"
722:"WENY News - James (Jim) Skippen to Retire from Quarterhill Management"
151:
134:
Work at Conversant Intellectual Property Management (formerly Mosaid)
103:
179:
91:
900:"Jim Skippen, the 2011 Canadian Tech Stock Executive of the Year"
212:
770:"ICRON establishes Advisory Board with Industry experts"
74:
Chief executive officer of WiLAN, executive chairman of
70:
62:
54:
44:
34:
18:
86:is a Canadian executive, lawyer, vice chairman of
697:"Wi-LAN restructuring gets thumbs up at Paradigm"
580:"Cantech Letter interviews Jim Skippen of Wi-LAN"
186:that WiLAN had the clout to enforce its patents.
375:
373:
371:
369:
382:"MOSAID's patent hawk climbs ladder to Wi-LAN"
8:
745:"Jim Skippen, Chairman and CEO, Wi-Lan Inc"
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26:
15:
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635:
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408:
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873:"OBJ names Forty Under 40 award winners"
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479:"Licenced to bill: Wi-LAN's patent ploy"
606:
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472:
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468:
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223:controls approximately 15,000 patents.
642:"Jim Skippen: Wi-LAN shows its muscle"
611:Sturgeon, Jamie (September 30, 2011).
544:
542:
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536:
534:
532:
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102:James Skippen was born and grew up in
743:Holloway, Andy (September 13, 2011).
437:
435:
316:"Wi-LAN CEO Jim Skippen to step down"
106:, Canada. He attended university at
7:
347:Czarnecka, Marzena (March 1, 2012).
259:Contributions to other organizations
898:Waddell, Nick (December 21, 2011).
820:"CATAAlliance - Governing Council"
695:Waddell, Nick (November 5, 2015).
442:Ellis, Jack (September 11, 2015).
14:
578:Waddell, Nick (August 17, 2011).
550:"Wi-Lan finds new life in Ottawa"
666:West, James (December 3, 2015).
227:Postponing retirement from WiLAN
380:Pappone, Jeff (June 16, 2006).
314:Waddell, Nick (June 29, 2015).
66:Chief executive officer, lawyer
171:would be good for the family.
1:
640:McLeod, Lori (June 1, 2007).
477:McLeod, Lori (June 2, 2007).
954:
25:
98:Early life and education
877:Ottawa Business Journal
386:Ottawa Business Journal
250:Defending patent rights
125:Borden Ladner Gervais
613:"The rise of Wi-Lan"
108:University of Ottawa
58:University of Ottawa
509:"Own the brainwave"
84:James (Jim) Skippen
749:The Financial Post
646:The Globe and Mail
617:The Financial Post
556:. January 12, 2007
483:The Globe and Mail
241:Internet of Things
194:Transforming WiLAN
701:cantechletter.com
418:branhamgroup.com/
320:cantechletter.com
81:
80:
945:
933:Canadian lawyers
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728:. Archived from
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217:Hewlett-Packard
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55:Alma mater
40:
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5:
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905:Cantech Letter
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732:on 2018-07-18.
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39:Ottawa, Canada
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63:Occupation(s)
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20:James Skippen
17:
909:. Retrieved
903:
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881:. Retrieved
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867:
855:. Retrieved
851:
839:
827:. Retrieved
824:CATAAlliance
823:
814:
802:. Retrieved
798:
789:
777:. Retrieved
773:
764:
752:. Retrieved
748:
738:
730:the original
726:www.weny.com
725:
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704:. Retrieved
700:
675:. Retrieved
672:Midas Letter
671:
661:
649:. Retrieved
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620:. Retrieved
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589:. Retrieved
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558:. Retrieved
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517:. Retrieved
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486:. Retrieved
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118:Legal career
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83:
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852:diabetes.ca
799:Newswire.ca
271:Recognition
88:Quarterhill
76:Quarterhill
45:Nationality
927:Categories
554:canada.com
513:canada.com
292:References
857:March 10,
829:March 10,
774:Icron.com
754:March 10,
706:March 11,
677:March 11,
651:March 11,
622:March 11,
591:March 11,
560:March 10,
519:March 11,
488:March 10,
453:March 10,
424:March 11,
391:March 10,
358:March 10,
325:March 10,
911:April 5,
883:April 5,
804:April 5,
779:April 5,
49:Canadian
152:Calgary
215:, and
104:Ottawa
848:(PDF)
209:Apple
180:Nokia
92:WiLAN
913:2016
885:2016
859:2016
831:2016
806:2016
781:2016
756:2016
708:2016
679:2016
653:2016
624:2016
593:2016
562:2016
521:2016
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455:2016
426:2016
393:2016
360:2016
327:2016
213:Dell
35:Born
448:IAM
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
