Erick Robinson previously served as Director of Patents for Qualcomm in Asia, where he managed a broad range of IP issues ranging from patent drafting, prosecution, licensing, and litigation, to regulatory, policy, and antitrust matters. He also managed open source issues for Qualcomm Atheros and created, implemented, and enforced open source protocols. Before Qualcomm, Erick managed patent and open source matters for Red Hat.
Mr. Robinson is an experienced U.S. patent attorney and trial lawyer with a technical background in computer science and physics, as well as biotechnology. He is a trusted authority on patent and antitrust law in China and has been selected as one of the Leading 300 IP Strategists Worldwide by IAM for the past two years. The author of the influential ChinaPatentBlog.com as well as numerous articles on Chinese patent litigation, Mr. Robinson is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Intellectual Asset Management, and other publications on Chinese patent and antitrust issues.
Erick began his legal career at a Wall Street law firm negotiating and drafting technology agreements and then moved to Texas, where he managed and tried patent cases for top U.S. law firms Weil Gotshal and McKool Smith. During his time in Texas, he managed bet-the-business patent cases on both the plaintiff and defendant side for Fortune 100 companies to sole inventors.
- International Trademarks/Patents
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Government & Regulatory Affairs
- Juris Doctor (J.D.), The University of Texas School of Law
- Masters in Business Administration (M.B.A.) and Masters in Business Analytics, Indiana University – Kelley School of Business
- Bachelor’s Degree, Pomona College
PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS
- “New Preliminary Injunction Rules Set Stage for Apple’s Showdown With Qualcomm” Intellectual Asset Management (IAM), January 25, 2019.
- “China’s New Draft Patent Law Has Innovation at Heart,” China Law & Practice (ALM), January 10, 2019.
- “Opinion: Establishment of IPR Court Sign of China’s Continued Innovation” CGTN (China Global Television Network), a Chinese international English-language news channel of the State-owned China Global Television Network group, part of the China Central Television (CCTV), January 2, 2019.
- “Leveraging China to Commercialize Your Invention: Licensing and Enforcement in a Chinese Commercialization Strategy,” ABA IP West, Newport Beach, October 4, 2018.
- “China Has Gone From Worst To First In Patent Enforcement,” Licensing Executives Society (LES) Webinar, September 17, 2018. (Note: Complete and Submit Form to View Video).
- “How To Win a Patent Case In China as a Plaintiff” IAM Magazine, August 2018.
- “The Patent Systems In Asia And Their Importance For International IP Enforcement” Sedona Conference, Reston, VA, February 2018.
- “Why You Should Protect and Enforce Your IP in China” Managing Intellectual Property, July 10, 2017
- “Why the Unified Patents Model Would Not Work in China” IPR Daily, April 27, 2017
- “Why the Unified Patents Model Would Not Work in China” IP Watchdog, April 26, 2017
- “IP in China” Panelist, Fordham IP Institute, April 20, 2017.
- “Why China Is A Good Place For NPEs” IP Law360, March 13, 2017
- “Why NPEs are Necessary for China to Dominate Its Domestic Chip Industry” IP Watchdog, February 2, 2017
- “Non-Practicing Entities Can Help Support Innovation and Tech Companies in China” Global Times (in conjunction with The People’s Daily), December 28, 2016.
- “Defending a Patent Case in the Brave New World of Chinese Patent Litigation” IAM Magazine, December 1, 2016.
- “China: New King of the Patent Litigation Hill” IP Dealmakers Forum, NYC, November 17, 2016
- “IIPLA Global IP Summit 2016 London: Patent Litigation in China” October 14, 2016, video of presentation.
- “How to Obtain Effective Evidence in China” Managing IP, October 2016.
- “China’s Evolution From Manufacturing To Innovation: Erick Robinson Examines How Patents And The Anti-Monopoly Law Are Changing The Rules In China And How Companies Can Protect Themselves” Intellectual Property Magazine, July 7, 2016.
- Patent Enforcement in China: For Executives and In-House Counsel, Text, To Be Published Early 2019
- “China Patent Blog”, November 2015-Present (ChinaPatentBlog.com).
- “Foreign Companies in China Must Learn That Respect Is Paramount” Financial Times, November 20, 2015.
- “China Increasing Patent Rights as US Goes the Other Way” IP Law 360, October 22, 2015.
- “Status of Software Patents in the US and Asia” Global IP Convention, Hyderabad, January 2014
- Moderator, “The Role of Patent Aggregators” Advanced Patent Law Institute, Austin, October, 2011
- Panel Member. “Patent Reform” 2011 Federal Circuit/Eastern District of Texas Conference, September 2011
- “Emergency Ignored: Current Status of the Patent Reform Act” OpenSource.com, March 2011
- “Emerging Trends and Opportunities in Protecting Intellectual Property including European Forums” 24th Annual Technology Law Conference, Austin, Texas, May 2011
- “A Hazy Shade Of Value: Software Patents Just Took A Hit” OpenSource.com, January 2011
- Panel Member “Non-Practicing Entities v. Alleged Infringers” 2010 Eastern District of Texas Bench/Bar
- Moderator and Panel Member “Perspectives of Patent Owners and Accused Infringers” 2009 Eastern District of Texas Bench/Bar Conference, Frisco, Texas, October 2009
- “The Ethics of Contingency Fee Relationships” 2009 AIPLA Spring Meeting, Presentation
- “Effective Use of Intellectual Property: Business, Patents, and Litigation” Association of Small Business Development Centers 2008 Annual Conference, Chicago, September 2008
- Speaker, “Patent Reform 2007 – Where Are We Now?” 45th Annual IP Law Conference, Plano, Texas
- Moderator and Speaker, “Patent Law Update and Strategies for Litigating Patent Cases in the Eastern District of Texas,” 2007 Eastern District of Texas Bench/Bar Conference, Galveston, October 2007
- “Strategic Use of IP Rights: Patent Productization and Patent Litigation.” Association of Small Business Development Centers 2006 Annual Conference, Houston, Texas, September 2006
- “The Satire/Parody Distinction in Copyright and Trademark Law—Can Satire Ever Be a Fair Use?” American Bar Association Litigation Section, ABA Roundtable, Houston, Texas, June 2006
- “Open Source: An Overview of the Risks and Rewards of the Mysterious World of Open Source Software Licensing.” Hispanic National Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Conference, Seattle, March 2006
- “Arbitration: Advantages, Disadvantages, and a Potential Hazard of Arbitration Clauses.” Mealey’s Environmental Litigation Conference, Houston, Texas, April 2005
- “Protecting Licensed Intellectual Property in Bankruptcy.” The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, May 2004
- “Intellectual Property Licensing: Not One Size Fits All.” The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, February 2004
- “How to Protect Your Software: Copyright.” Computer User, May 2004
- “How to Protect Your Software: Patents.” Computer User, April 2004
- “Bankruptcy Considerations in Software Licenses.” Kansas City Business Journal, March 2004
- “Exercising Rights: Fitness Industry Now Patently Competitive.” San Antonio Business Journal, October 2003