Our Mission

      • We are a member-driven cooperative focused on providing patent risk mitigation services to the world’s most innovative technology companies.

      • Our unique non-profit model ensures that Members always come first.

      • We help global companies analyze patent purchase opportunities and secure defensive acquisitions in a transparent, cost-effective way

Professionalism

We act with integrity, trust, respect and transparency in the work that we do.
This ensures a positive first impression and a lasting reputation to be your trusted advisor.

Open-Mindedness

Being open-minded involves being receptive to a wide variety of viewpoints, information and ideas. It means being flexible and adaptive to allow us to solve a problem in more ways than one.

Accountability

Each person is empowered to take responsibility for their own job and strive for excellence. Fostering this culture of employee accountability helps yield a high-performing organization at AST.

Service

Providing excellent service to our Members is the cornerstone of our business model. It means going the extra mile in making sure all interactions with AST is positive and completed in a timely fashion.

Balance

We value a holistic and balanced work environment. Employees who have a positive work-life balance do a better job at work, so promoting this balance is beneficial to individuals and the company.

AST Through the Years

AST Through the Years

“We began as an experiment by a handful of our nation’s biggest tech leaders who sought a more effective way to combat unwanted patent assertions and litigation. Nothing like this had ever been done before.

The result was AST, a thoroughly groundbreaking Member-driven cooperative where representatives from various industries could work together to mitigate risk and promote a better functioning IP marketplace.

Today our mission is more significant than ever, and AST now includes Member companies from across multiple industries including information technology, software, semiconductors, communications, automotive, health tech, and social media.

Please take a look below at how we have grown into one of the industry’s most unique and innovative providers of patent risk mitigation solutions.”

Russell Binns
Chief Executive Officer, AST

2024
2024
  • Broadened IP3 to include licensing deals in addition to acquisitions and had another record breaking year with 51 deals closed.
  • 15 members of AST were recognized in IAM’s 2024 300 leading IP Strategists.
  • AST recognized as the leading purchaser of patent rights from independent inventors closing over 100 deals since 2016.
  • Reached 20,000 portfolios received.
2023
2023
  • IP3 2023 continued to exceed expectations with a record breaking 48 deals acquired.
  • Closed over 20 licensing deals.
  • Launched a new version of our proprietary platform for reviewing the most comprehensive catalog of patents available on the secondary market.
  • AST tracked 467 patent transactions involving 1,900 assets with 460 sellers and 439 buyers in the year in its market analysis and reports.
  • CEO, Russ Binns, named to IAM’s Top 40 IP Market Makers for 8th consecutive year.
2022
2022
  • 20% Growth in membership.
  • Over 550 Patents and patent applications acquired via AST’s “catch & release” program.
  • Over 600 Patents and patent applications sublicensed.
  • Over 900 Patent licenses for our members protecting them from potential assertions and litigations.
  • AST celebrates15 years in business!
  • Russ Binns named to IAM’s Top 40 IP Market Makers for 7th consecutive year.
2021
2021
  • Closed 70 deals on over 150 patent portfolios and granted over 500 licenses to our 40 Members.
  • Broadened the second iteration of Buy-It-Now and IP3 focusing on higher quality never seen before portfolios.
  • Russ Binns named to IAM’s “Top 40IP Market Makers” for 6th consecutive year.
2020
2020
  • 51 deals closed on over 1000 patents.
  • 4 Members joined, ending the year with 40 members.
  • Launched a new pilot Buy-It-Now (BIN) patent purchase program, an invite-only, more focused, and quicker version of IP3.
  • IP3 continued to grow receiving from over 350 patent owners over 1300 portfolios that included over 3000 patents from 41 jurisdictions.
  • Russ Binns named to IAM’s “Top 40 IP Market Makers” for 5th consecutive year.
2019
2019
  • IP3 2019, most successful to date, soliciting patents from a wider group of technology areas than previous years.
  • AST reaches an industry milestone with more than 10,000 portfolios reviewed and published.
  • Russ Binns named to 2019 IAM Magazine Top 40Market Makers list of “The World’s Elite IP Deal Makers” for 4th consecutive year.
2018
2018
  • Spotify becomes a member of AST.
  • AST has 30 active Members.
  • Russ Binns names to “IAM’s Tio 40 Elite IP Market Makers” for third consecutive year.
2017
2017
  • AST celebrates 10 Year Anniversary.
  • IP3 returns and targets specific industries for the first time.
  • AST hires former Yahoo! IP Executive Ray Strimaitis as VP, Corporate Development and Global Strategy.
  • Russ Binns named to “IAM’s Top 40 Elite IP Market Makers.”
2016
2016
  • IP3 – Industry Patent Purchase Program is launched in May, connecting patent sellers with AST’s Member companies that span across multiple industries.
  • Membership reaches 33 Members.
2014-2015
2014-2015
  • Russel W. Binns is appointed CEO of the Trust in July 2014.
  • AST’s Membership expands to include two major auto companies, Ford and Honda (2015).
  • Membership increases to 29 with an additional multinational technology company.
2012-2013
2012-2013
  • MIPS Technologies agrees to sale of patent properties to AST in 2012 for $350M.
  • Membership expands to the LED sector along with Microsoft, and Sony, increasing Membership to 27.
2011
2011
  • AST adds first social media Member in addition to two other Members exceeding 20 Members in total.
2010
2010
  • AST’s Membership expands to include a company from the cable/telecommunications industry as well as the semiconductor/manufacturing industry.
2009
2009
  • fAST IP is launched. This is AST’S proprietary platform for members to review the most comprehensive repositor of patents available for sale or license.
  • AST adds three other prominent Members, inclusing another major cable company, increasing Membership to 19.
2008
2008
  • IBM, Google, Avaya and Philips Join AST.
  • Daniel P. McCurdy becomes CEO in August.
  • Plans begin to develop for a proprietary, automated system to allow members to readily evaluate patent on the open market and facilitate patent transactions which later becomes fAST IP in 2010.
2007
2007
  • January 1, 2007, Allied Security Trust established as a Delaware Statutory Trust and the Trust Agreement is finalized.
  • Hewlett Packard, Kodak, Motorola and Sun Microsystems become the Founding Members of AST.
  • Brian Hinman is named CEO of AST.
2004-2006
2004-2006
  • Commerce One’s patent portfolio sale is completed in 2004.
  • This sends a clear signal that there is a growing threat of NPEs to the patent industry.
  • Several major US Companies begin discussions about the need for new risk mitigation solutions.
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