高科技企業併購專利實地查核之法律分析與風險管理-以美國專利法為中心

Abstract

併購是企業追求外部成長的重要手段，高成長及高績效的高科技企業往往策略性地運用併購，成功地創造企業價值。高科技企業基於策略目的以併購取得專利或其他專有技術等智慧財產時，該等財產相較傳統實體財產而言，其權利是否存在或是權利保護範圍較不確定，是以買方投資人於併購程序中除須實施傳統的實地查核外，更須針對擬併購的智慧財產進行IP查核，以確認目標公司擁有的專利確實有效並可實施、其權利完整且可轉讓、並且買方於取得後可以自由實施該等專利而不致侵害他人的權利。惟高科技併購案講求快速結案，囿於時間、資源有限加上交易相對人往往基於商業考慮而未充分揭露相關專利資訊，這使得買方投資人擬透過專利查核發現可能存在的專利風險，並確認相關專利價值的目的往往無法有效達成。本文除透過訪問產業界專家見解，提出專利查核不足的法律補救措施外，也建議買方投資人從風險管理及成本效益考量的角度，分析併購程序中各主要階段併購專利的相關風險因素及風險管理措施，透過規避、轉嫁及控管風險的準則及措施，有效分配資源，彌補IP查核之不足，使併購程序得以順利進行。

Corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are crucial tactics in achieving corporate external growth. Strategically, a high-tech enterprise with high growth and efficiency more often than not creates corporate values by means of high-tech M&A, such M&A will also bring about valuable intellectual properties (IP) such as patents that can benefit its strategic purposes. Compared to tangible assets, patent and other IPs acquired through M&A are less protected in terms of IP ownership. To ensure buyer’s IP rights such as validity of IP, transferability for IP transactions, and freedom to operate the acquired IPs, not only do buyers and investors ought to carry out IP Due Diligence procedures, but also conduct necessary audits on IPs that are intended to be procured. In general, issues of IP values and would-be IP risks derived from high-tech enterprise M&A may not be fully identified in the process of M&A because of restrictions of time, and resources. Therefore, this article on the one hand proposed probable legal remedial actions to resolve deficiencies in a patent audit through field interview with experts; on the other hand it recommended buyers and investors to analyze risk factors induced in the process of patent acquisition from the perspectives of risk management process and cost-effectiveness view point. With above approach provided, the prospect of this paper is meant to call attention to strengthen the inadequacies in patent audit,thus making a high-tech enterprise’s patent-driven M&A a success.