In this episode of the Patent Strategy Scorecard Podcast, hosts Samar Shah and Ian Holloway unpack the Walt Disney Company’s evolution — from a small animation studio to a global empire spanning theme parks, streaming, AR/VR, AI, and advertising.We explore:Disney’s early history and rise during the cable bundle eraThe dominance of ESPN and its role in shaping cable packagesDisney’s pivot to streaming and the challenges of competing with Netflix and tech giantsThe shift from cable to broadband and its industry-wide impactThe enduring value of Disney’s parks divisionDisney’s patent strategy across AR/VR, AI, streaming, and advertisingGlobal distribution of Disney’s patents and how they align with future growth Key Insight: Disney’s intellectual property (IP) isn’t just about protecting Mickey Mouse—it’s a forward-looking competitive moat driving innovation and market leadership.If you want to learn how IP and patent strategy can future-proof businesses like Disney (and yours), visit us at outlierpatentattorneys.comListen now and gain insight into Disney’s IP playbook, streaming future, and innovation roadmap.Learn more about building your patent strategy: https://outlierpatentattorneys.com/
In this episode of the Patent Strategy Podcast, hosts Samar Shah and Ian Holloway delve into Netflix's current landscape, exploring its business strategy, market positioning, and the challenges it faces in a competitive streaming environment. They discuss the implications of subscriber growth, the shift towards ad-supported models, and the importance of content recommendations. The conversation also touches on Netflix's patent strategy, comparing it with competitors and evaluating its effectiveness in the evolving media landscape. The hosts conclude with a scorecard assessment of Netflix's patent strategy, highlighting areas for improvement and future opportunities.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Overview06:38 Legacy Media Companies Struggle to Compete18:42 Exploring an Ad-Supported Model22:23 International Growth and Targeting Specific Markets31:15 Engaging Users with Live Events33:33 The Double-Edged Sword of Sports Content36:03 Experimenting with Live Events and Content Recommendation Systems39:19 Reliance on Internal Data Analysis44:33 Drop in Allowance Rate in 201801:04:53 Netflix's Patent Portfolio: Delivering Video Content and User Experience01:15:43 Lack of Forward-Looking Patents: Advertising and Recommendation Systems01:17:59 Competitive Position: Behind Amazon and Apple01:22:00 Missing Opportunities: Excluding Competitors and Anticipating Integration01:28:12 Improving Netflix's Patent Strategy: Focus on Forward-Looking AreasTakeawaysNetflix is currently the leading streaming platform with a significant market share.The company has successfully leveraged data analytics to understand viewer preferences.Legacy media companies have struggled to adapt to the streaming model, benefiting Netflix.Subscriber growth is slowing, prompting Netflix to explore new revenue streams.The shift to an ad-supported model is a significant change for Netflix.Content recommendations are crucial for increasing viewer engagement and retention.International expansion presents both opportunities and challenges for Netflix.Live events and sports could enhance Netflix's ad revenue potential.Netflix's patent strategy is heavily focused on distribution technology.There is a need for Netflix to innovate in advertising and recommendation systems.KeywordsNetflix, patent strategy, business strategy, streaming, media industry, competition, advertising, content recommendations, subscriber growth, international expansion
In this episode, Samar Shah and Ian Holloway discuss the challenges and unique aspects of Spotify's business model. They explore how Spotify differs from other tech companies, the impact of record labels on their profitability, and their efforts to increase revenue through advertising. They also examine Spotify's expansion into podcasts and audiobooks as a way to attract more users and generate more ad inventory. While Spotify faces obstacles in becoming an ad-focused company, they are making strategic moves to position themselves in the audio content space. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Overview08:02 Spotify's Unique Business Model15:13 Comparison to Netflix26:06 Increasing Audio Content Inventory32:14 Expanding into Podcasts and Audiobooks48:45 Benchmarking Spotify's Patent Portfolio Against Competitors58:26 Vertical & Horizontal Integration01:03:31 Advertising in Spotify's Patent PortfolioTune in to see how Samar and Ian will rate Spotify's patent portfolio in view of their business strategy.