The scale of collaborative patent defense just hit a new high. Allied Security Trust’s eleventh annual Industry Patent Purchase & Licensing Program (IP3) closed with more deals than ever before, signaling that tech giants are increasingly pooling resources to manage patent risk collectively.
Eleventh annual program drew 27 voting members and 1,384 lots, with group licensing and member collaboration driving the record results
Allied Security Trust (AST) has confirmed the voting results from its annual Industry Patent Purchase & Licensing Program (IP3). During the September 30 session, 27 member companies examined 1,384 accepted lots—covering 1,493 patent families, 1,778 active U.S. patents, and 3,078 assets worldwide—and ultimately chose 70 lots for acquisition or group licensing. Members committed $5.625 million across 89 patent families, 137 U.S. patents, and 186 active assets, with 41 lots purchased outright and 29 obtained through group sublicenses. All transactions are anticipated to be completed by the close of 2026.
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IP3 2026 now stands as the most successful iteration in the program’s 11-year history, surpassing all prior years in both the number of deals selected and total capital deployed. The $5.625 million investment marks a 9% rise over the $5.139 million invested in IP3 2025 and a 34% jump from the $4.2 million recorded in IP3 2024. The 70 deals represent a 49% increase compared to 47 in 2025 and a notable uptick from 51 in 2024. Group sublicenses made up 41% of this year’s deals, up from 30% in the previous cycle.
IP3 serves as a marketplace where patent owners can connect with a consortium of leading technology firms through either fixed-price purchases or group licensing arrangements. For the 2026 program, AST’s intake team processed over 1,500 submissions originating from more than 220 sellers and 30 brokers.
• Pricing: Deal prices ranged from $8,000 to $350,000, with an average of $80,357 per lot and $63,202 per patent family.
• Participation: 27 member companies participated, including Cisco, Google, IBM, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, Snap, Sony, Spotify, Uber and Verizon.
Collaboration drove the outcomes
Members worked closely throughout the program, and lots that drew interest from multiple participants were far more likely to be selected than those appealing to just one. On average, 3.6 members shared the cost of each deal.
Where members invested
Wireless, Telecom & Networking emerged as the most active category with 19 deals, followed by Content Distribution & Advertising (10), and three zones tied at nine deals each: Cloud Computing, Hardware & Software, and Semiconductor, Lighting & Optoelectronics. Several highly watched areas commanded attention this year:
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Submissions in the zone that includes AI/ML grew 33% to 200 lots, and members selected five AI/ML lots.
• Semiconductors: The largest zone in the program at 371 lots (27% of submissions) produced nine deals.
• Streaming and content: Content distribution, streaming and media-processing lots drew some of the broadest co-funding, with 10 deals averaging 3.8 participating members each.
Universities accounted for 36 of the 70 selected lots (51%), and universities and research institutions together submitted 69% of all lots.
“IP3 2026 shows the collaborative model working at scale. Our members selected 70 deals, nearly 50% more than last year, and group licensing gave patent owners and members a flexible path to a fair price. Patent owners get a clear, efficient route to market, and members get proactive protection at a shared cost. I congratulate our members and the AST team on a record year,” said Russell W. Binns Jr., CEO of AST.
“IP3 2026 showed what happens when members have good information and a clear process. They reviewed 1,384 lots, converged on 242 that mattered most to them, and then pooled capital to fund 70 deals. The more members who saw value in a lot, the more likely it was to get done, and that is the point of a collaborative model,” said Mihir Patel, Executive Vice President, Licensing & Analytics at AST.
In line with AST’s catch-and-release model, all acquired portfolios will be made available for resale or licensing and can be viewed by prospective members, potential buyers or their representatives at www.ast.com/acquired-portfolios.
IP3 is one part of AST’s year-round activity. AST remains one of the most active buyers in the patent industry, acquiring patent rights and securing sublicenses on behalf of its members through its Standard Program. Patent owners, universities and brokers do not need to wait for the next IP3 cycle: submit your lots to AST whenever you are ready to sell or license at www.ast.com/sell-to-ast.
Why it matters: The record-breaking IP3 2026 underscores that major technology companies are increasingly relying on shared-cost models to defend against patent litigation. With more than $5.6 million pooled
