ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law to host forum, Oct. 11-12, in Long Beach, Calif.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2017  —  Officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, federal judges and leading industry practitioners will discuss a wide range of intellectual property topics including recent Supreme Court decisions, trade secrets, technology, entertainment, life sciences and ethics during the IP West 2017 Current Intellectual Property Law Issues conference Oct. 11-12 in Long Beach, Calif.

Key sessions each day include three plenaries:

• A panel of U.S. district court judges discussing current bench and bar issues

• A panel with the USPTO and IP practitioners discussing the latest IP issues

• A corporate issues panel including in-house counsel speakers from Airbnb, Juno Therapeutics, Microsoft and Nest Labs

The keynote luncheon speaker will be Kim Cooper, associate general counsel for Apple, Inc., in Cupertino, Calif., from 12:15-1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11.
Additional program highlights include:

• “Protection of Designs in the EU: The Intersection Between U.S. Trade Dress and U. S. Design Patent” — Strategic protection of designs in the EUIPO is so comprehensive that it might intercept U.S. trade dress and U.S. copyrights apart from U.S. design patent. Not only do the statutory prerequisites in the EU allow an unlimited number of designs in the same application but also community registered designs provide protection to certain subject matters not necessarily suitable for U.S. design patent. A compared investigation would also involve the current and recent EU practice making the allowance of designs in EUIPO much stricter than before. Finally, unlike the U.S., due to the peculiarities of community registered designs, the presentation investigates the limited “stretched” circumstances where the design protection in the EU could replace the EU trademarks also for cost/benefit purposes. Panelists will include moderator Cristina Guerra, Guerra IP, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Brian E. Ainsworth, Price Heneveld LLP, Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Vincenzo Melillan, Bugnion S.P.A., Milano, Italy.

• “Navigating Disruptive Technologies” — Companies are creating products and services that are stretching our traditional notions of how we use technology — from virtual reality to utilizing biometric data in ways we never could before. Beyond established technology companies, other industries, such as cryptocurrency, are emerging without guidance on the legal confines in which they operate. This panel will explore various disruptive technologies and discuss how we can make sense of such technologies with our existing legal landscape, and factors to consider as we continue to innovate. Panelists include moderator Natalie Nicol, Tealium, San Diego; speakers are Brian Focarino, Cooley LLP, Palo Alto, Calif.; Tiffany Li, General Assembly, New York, N.Y.; Emory Roane, Internet Law and Policy Foundry, San Diego; and Gabriella E. Ziccarelli, Blank Rome LLP, Washington, D.C.

• “Hollywood or Bust: Where IP and Entertainment Law Intersect” — Bringing a movie or TV show to production is a delicate dance between the IP rights of the creators and writers, the realities of business, ratings and packing movie theaters, the finances of investment and production costs and the regulatory scheme of state law in California. Some make it and most don’t. Find out the secrets to a successful production straight from an IP attorney, studio head, marketing and development, and investor as to what’s important and how to get it all done and get to walk the red carpet. Speakers are Janet Fries, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Washington, D.C.; Linden Bierman Lytle, Viacom Media Networks, Los Angeles; and David Postolski, Gearheart Law LLC, Summit, N.J.

• “The China Paradox: Emergence as a World Leader in IP Protection and Enforcement” — A panel of experts will discuss the changing landscape for IP protection in China, including the expansion of patent eligibility to cover business methods, computer methodologies and life sciences and the explosion in IP litigation including foreign-brought cases, success rates, costs, timing and injunctive relief. Topics covered will include how easy – or hard – it is to obtain IP protection in China and strategic issues IP rights holders should consider in choosing whether to enforce their IP rights in China versus the U.S. or other jurisdictions. Panelists include moderator Scott F. Partridge, Baker Botts LLP, Houston; speakers are David L. Cohen, Kidon IP Corporation, New York, N.Y.; Mark A. Cohen, Office of Policy and International Affairs, USPTO, Alexandria, Va.; Eloise Maki, 3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, Minn.; and Deshan Li, Unitalen Attorneys at Law, Beijing, China.

• “There's a New Distributor in Town and It's Called Blockchain!” — Disruptive technology is the way of the world. Every day there is a new disruptor in town. Today it’s Blockchain. What is it? What does it do? What does it mean for IP practitioners? Can Blockchain be used to protect IP and track its use? Join the experts in an interesting and provocative session on Blockchain technology. Speakers are Joshua Ashley Klayman, Morrison Foerster LLP, New York, N.Y.; and Richard B. Levin, Polsinelli PC, Denver.
The complete agenda can be found online.