Some figures on the average budgets of IP departments, and questions

In Exec.Counsel, June/July 2012 at 31, author Mark Klapow of Crowell & Moring discusses intellectual property. At one point he refers to how much companies spend on their internal IP groups. “The average annual budget for the intellectual property departments for large companies, which are typically the most dedicated to steering new ideas through the patent process, is over $6 million.”

 

Klapow does not reference that figure but if it applies to the costs of the in-house lawyers, patent agents, and others in the IP department, it seems quite high.  Perhaps “the budget” includes both inside and outside costs for IP, which would make it more plausible.  Also, if “large companies” were defined, we could assess the $6 million figure better, not to mention if he had given a median instead of an average.