Originally published in InsideCounsel on March 5, 2013.

The primary advantage of mediation is to avoid the costs and risks of litigation. A secondary advantage of mediation is the ability to tailor the resolution of the dispute to meet the true interests of the parties. The array of possible solutions is far broader than the remedies available through a court in litigation.

These concepts apply with equal force to IP disputes. The America Invents Act (AIA) promises fundamental changes in the patent arena. Some of those changes will make mediation matter even more in resolving patent disputes.