About

In 2015, Martin Ekelund assumed his current position as vice president legal and licensing for Freebit, owner of an intellectual property right (IPR) portfolio for C-shaped ear interface technology. In this capacity, and as a member of Freebit’s management team, Ekelund holds responsibility for all global legal aff airs and has been tasked with licensing the interface product to some of the world’s largest tech and audio companies. Most recently Monster launched a headphone range with renowned sports personality Cristiano Ronaldo featuring Freebit’s in-ear technology. Ekelund reveals, ‘a lot of sales eff orts have been brought under the legal responsibilities, and this has resulted in a big increase in licenses, revenues and results’. This work has been evidenced by an introduction of litigation strategies against the giants of the audio industry, as well as increasing license portfolio by 200% by targeting China and Hong Kong markets. On overcoming challenges in the region Ekelund says: ‘We have seen a few large acquisitions in the industry, challenging our position. Standing up for your rights, in this environment is tough for small companies. Legal services are expensive, and creative thinking and good strategies are needed to be able to survive and thrive in a hostile environment’. Ekelund assumed his fi rst in-house position in 1997 for IKEA, a tenure which acted as a platform for a number of large-scale deals – for example the principle copyright case against MagLite, and the fi rst foreign domain name case in China in the early 2000’s. His in-house career has been nothing but dynamic and broad, covering a range of large multinational companies. In 2008 he served as the senior legal counsel, global head of IPR for ESAB Group, and from 2012-2015 he assumed position as principle adviser IPR for Statoil, the Norwegian state oil and gas giant.