Every #thanksgivingweek IPWatchdog, Inc Editor-in-Chief Eileen McDermott curates a special post featuring reflections on what the IP community is thankful for. Here’s mine. You can read Eileen’s full post here: https://bit.ly/3rhn0Pa

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I am thankful for a rare consensus between pharma and tech – that patents rules governing artificial intelligence are sound. George Mason University – Antonin Scalia Law School Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy’s Virtual 2021 Annual Fall Conference focused on the interface between #artificialintelligence and #intellectualproperty.

Panelists from biopharma companies like Novartis and Genentech on one panel, and from Google on another, shared the view that current patent rules supported AI innovation. These two industries have vastly different business models and deeply divided views on patent law and policy. Those views had stumped #patenteligibility reform.

Had either side been dissatisfied with the status quo on AI, they could have lauded developments elsewhere, including recent ones in South Africa and Australia, as pointing the way forward here in the United States. Notably, they did not. Industry consensus gives the government guidance and the time and space to consult widely, as the USPTO has done on AI, and to make balanced and carefully considered adjustments where needed. That is as it should be.

I had the privilege of participating as a delegate of the 37th Annual Meeting of the US Bar-European Patent Office Liaison Council. Raymond Moser Jr. led the delegation as Council President. We had a frank and wide-ranging discussion covering initiatives on the EPO’s initiatives and developments, including the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court.

In the lead-up to our 65th #iplaw conference which starts tomorrow, I will be highlighting our panels. Below are details of our trademark panel. Hope to see you there!

https://lnkd.in/d6aFSgtC

Topics include:

· What is the Shop Safe Act and what’s its status? Has it changed since last year? Who supports it and who opposes it? Prospects for passage?

· What are the implications of Belmora LLC v. Bayer Consumer Care AG for the protection of well-known marks?

· What does Comfort Corp. v. Baxter International Inc. contribute to the initial interest confusion doctrine?

· Rogers v. Grimaldi cases that change or revise the original test are a regular occurrence in trademark law. Where are we now? Just how many Rogers tests are there?

· It’s been two years. How to we evaluate Iancu v. Brunetti now?

· What are the issues in Kaisha v. Lotte Int’l Am. Corp., 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 7026, No. 19-3010 (3d Cir. March 10, 2021). Should the Supreme Court grant cert? If so, should the Court affirm or reverse? What should the Court say?

· New trends in #badfaith trademarks in #China.

Moderator/Panelist:

William K. Ford (University of Illinois Chicago School of Law)

Panelists:

Marshall Leaffer (Indiana University Maurer School of Law)

Yongjian Lei (WANHUIDA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY)

Yvette Liebesman (Saint Louis University School of Law)

Amy Ziegler (Greer, Burns & Crain, Ltd.)

In the lead-up to our conference this week, I will be highlighting our panels. Here’s our panel on “Global IP Issues.” Looking forward to it!

https://ipconference.law.uic.edu/

Topics include:

· IP & popular culture: #US fair use and lessons from #Singapore’s legislative amendments.

· The process and result of EU copyright harmonization and the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

· Toward a global FRAND solution.

· The World Trade Organization waiver and COVID19.

· Recent innovation and IP policies in #China, their impact on companies and scientists.

Moderator/Panelist:

Mark Cohen (University of California, Berkeley – School of Law)

Panelists:

Dr. Ashish Bharadwaj (O.P. Jindal Global University)

David Tan (NUS Faculty of Law)

Eleonora Rosati (Stockholms universitet)

Runhua Wang (University of Science and Technology Beijing)

In the lead-up to our 65th Annual IP Law Conference, I want to take a moment to say a special “thank you” to our sponsors and institutional partners. We appreciate your support and encouragement. Your partnership with our conference makes it even better. https://ipconference.law.uic.edu/