MODERATORS - TIME

TOPICS – DESCRIPTION

SERGEY MEDVEDEV, PHD, LLM, PARTNER, GORODISSKY & PARTNERS (RUSSIA)

EDT 08:20–09:20
CEST 14:20-15.20
KST 21:20-22.20

Table 1

EMERGING MARKETS OF THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION (EEU) – IT’S TIME TO LICENSE YOUR IP ASSETS

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

The topic will cover legal, business and practical aspects associated with IP licensing in EEU. More specifically, the topic will be shared between the business and IP lawyers who will talk about IP licensing in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia, since each particular jurisdiction has its own specifics.

The business will be represented by one of the leading Russian pharmaceutical companies - PHARMENTERPRISES, Ltd. IP lawyers are top IP-experts from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia. The topic will be presented in an interactive and lively manner.

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

• IP licensing in general and in theory
• Specific and practical IP licensing issues: exclusivity, scope, termination
• Perfection: filing and registration
• Case law and best practices

ROBYNNE ZEVENSTER, BSC (HON), LLB, ASSOCIATE, VON SEIDELS (SOUTH AFRICA)

EDT 09:50- 10:50
CEST 15:50-16:50
KST 22:50- 23:50

Table 2

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN AFRICA

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

We will do an overview of the relevant IP systems and the efficacy of these systems. We will discuss the IP laws of major countries in Africa relevant to AI development and consider whether these cater for protection of AI related inventions and to what extent these types of inventions could be protected.

AI is set to fuel new economic growth. AI may have the potential to increase a country’s GDP growth rate significantly. The ability to harness even a fraction of this benefit would be a powerful tool for development and poverty reduction. This impact will be particularly strong in a few core sectors that are key for Africa, including agriculture, healthcare, public services, and financial services.

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

We will discuss economic development in Africa including main industries that are thriving and referring to specific industries which have successfully implemented AI in Africa.

DR. MADELEIN KLEYN, MAD K IP (SOUTH AFRICA)

DR. NIKOS MINAS, PTLC ( IRELAND)

EDT 12:00 - 13:00
CEST 18:00 - 19:00
KST 01:00 - 02:00

Table 3

FREEDOM TO OPERATE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TODAY?

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

With the IP domain overcrowded with small incremental inventions that overlaps, competitors that merge and forming stronger and bigger corporations, is there space for the SME which needs all possible funds to run the business but are often challenged with large IP portfolios

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

• What is an FTO?
• Has the scope of FTO changed in the world of I4R?
• When to conduct an FTO?
• Relevance of FTO in today’s crowded patent space
• What is the relationship between a strong patent/IP portfolio and FTO
• What are the pros and cons of conducting and FTO?
• What are the next steps once a threat has been identified?
• Risk management: Approaching the IP owner to obtain a license to bridge the FTO risk
• University spin-outs and FTO: what are the risks and how to go about performing the FTO?
• At what stage the FTO becomes irrelevant?
• How to work within the “grey zone” of an FTO?
• FTO in technologies involving standards

DR. ANNA GIEDKE, PARTNER, BARDEHLE PAGENBERG (GERMANY)

EDT 13:00 - 14:00
CEST 19:00 - 20:00
KST 02:00 - 03:00

Table 4

DOS AND DON’TS IN LICESNING NEGOTIATIONS

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

We would like to discuss the common mistakes and helpful tips for IP licensing negotiations we noticed in our practice.

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

• Preparation of the negotiations – don’t neglect it.
• Negotiation style – contradictory vs. consensual.
• Helpful tools for long negotiations (LoI, MOI, position paper).
• Wording of the agreement – templates?, helpful checks.

SAM WILEY, PatSnap INC. (USA)

EDT 14:00 - 15:00
CEST 20:00 - 21:00
KST 03:00 - 02:00

Table 5

GLOBAL IP ANALYTICS

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

As IP ecosystems in Europe and Asia have grown increasingly important relative to the US, analyzing such diverse and complex data requires careful consideration, as well as new approaches and technology. At this small table, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities in global IP analytics.

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

1. What are the issues associated with analyzing IP data from diverse IP jurisdictions, with different approaches to IP, regulatory regimes, and available remedies?
2. How can global IP data help drive better cross-border IP decisions – not simply filing strategies, but R&D, litigation, IP-related taxation, etc.
3. The impact of global patent data analysis on SEPs, competition law, and more

CÂNDIDA CAFFÉ, PARTNER, DANNEMANN SIEMSEN (BRAZIL)

EDT 16:20 - 17:20
CEST 21:20 - 22:20
KST 05:20 - 06:20

Table 6

TOP 5 FEMALE CHALLENGES AT EARLY STAGES OF CAREER

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

• My mentor as a role model – how did she get there? (as an event idea: finding a successful woman who is willing to talk openly about her history/career; I think this would be interesting for many)
• Career and children – when to go back to work after the baby pause, how to get back (part time, full time), how to cope with familiar obligations
• Female style vs. male style (differences, advantages, need to modify?)

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

• How to find the right balance between billable and non-billable hours
• Becoming a partner – best strategy (actively requesting it vs. modestly working towards it)
• How to behave if younger colleagues/assistants do not respect your higher seniority (confrontational vs. appeasing)
• (Internal) meetings – cut yourself short (effective way) or elaborate extensively (as I observed with many mainly male colleagues)
• Body language – be yourself or restrict smiles etc.?

NATALIE RAFFOUL, PARTNER, BRION RAFFOUL LLP (CANADA)

EDT 20:00 - 21:00
CEST 02:00 - 03:00
KST 09:00 - 10:00

Table 7

REMOTE WORKING: PERMANENT, TEMPORARY OR A HYBRID?

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

Pre-Covid, companies offered the ability to work from home as a perk to employees. Since Covid, working from home has become the “new normal” for many businesses and for the foreseeable future. Is remote work here to stay or is it possible to create a successful hybrid?

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

What does this mean for businesses trying to navigate this new landscape? Many employers are now dealing with an increase in cybersecurity issues; employee performance management and needing to reinvent policies and procedures for this new norm.
In addition, employees are experiencing Zoom fatigue and finding it difficult to draw the line between work and personal time. For many, the lack of social interaction can drain morale and office culture. What does this mean for our mental health?
By the same token, for may companies, remote work opens the global pool of talent and may reduce overhead costs related to maintaining physical space. Does this mean that a hybrid model is the new norm in the post-pandemic world?

MARIANA GONZALEZ, JUNIOR PARTNER, BC&B (MEXICO)

ROBERTO CARAPETO, PARTNER, LICKS ATTORNEYS (BRAZIL AND JAPAN)

EDT 21:10 - 22:10
CEST 03:10 - 04:10
KST 09:00 - 10:00

Table 8

TRADE SECRETS IN LATIN AMERICA - Facing different "spices" on a regional protection

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

The protection of trade secrets involves balancing different legal standards of protection in different countries and implementing secrecy practices in different cultures. In Latin America, despite having some similar cultural backgrounds different countries have different legal frameworks for the protection of Trade Secrets.

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

Cross border protection of Trade Secrets. Protection of Trade Secrets in Latin America.

DR. PHILIPPE KUTSCHKE, PARTNER, BARDEHLE PAGENBERG (GERMANY)

DR. GEORGINA BUSKU WACHTLER, DIRECTOR, AGIP (HUNGARY)

EDT 04:00 - 05:00
CEST 10:00 - 11:00
KST 09:00 - 10:00

Table 9

THE BORDERLINE BETWEEN 3D TRADEMARKS AND DESIGNS

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

Three dimensional objects, shapes may be protected by both trademark and design law. It is however important to recognize and strategically decide which intellectual property rights shall be applied to achieve the adequate protection. Trademarks and designs have certain similarities, yet many differences in particular regarding their legal requirements, application process, limitations, scope of protection etc. They do not exclude one another and therefore it is also possible to obtain both of them simultaneously.

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

The moderators will provide a general overview on the similarities and major differences between 3D trademarks and designs, they will review the essence of selected landmark decisions of the ECJ and finally provide their practical view on:

• how to obtain the most favorable protection for the shape of a product?
• which protection should you obtain first?
• both is better than none?
• what is importance of the market perception of the product to be protected?
• are there any issues of the compatibility of the simultaneous protections?

The moderators will share their point of view and aim to briefly introduce their guideline of choice of protection, but will you agree with them?

DR. KILIAN SCHÄRLI, PARTNER, MEYERLUSTENBERGER LACHENAL LTD. (SWITZERLAND)

EDT 05:20 - 06:20
CEST 11:20 - 12:20
KST 18:20 - 19:20

Table 10

BLOCKCHAIN & IP: A SOLUTION CRYPTO HEAVEN?

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC:

With its relatively low cost of maintenance, increased transparency, reduced administrative burden and resilience to fraud, blockchain is a versatile technology that can be deployed in a whole host of different sectors and businesses. While the bandwidth of use cases is still subject to ongoing research, one of the fields that will profit from the possibilities of blockchain are smart contracts, i.e. legal contracts built and executed (entirely or in parts) by means of software.

In today’s economy, an increasing share of business value is derived via intangible assets; thus, success often depends upon the ability to manage and exploit IP. For that reason, companies require managers to effectively acquire, govern and commercialize IP. Over the next decade, blockchain technology will transform how companies catalog and track IP.

Potential IP blockchain use cases include: evidence of creatorship and provenance authentication, registering and clearing IP rights; controlling and tracking the distribution of (un)registered IP; providing evidence of genuine and/or first use in trade and/or commerce; digital rights management; establishing and enforcing IP agreements, licenses or exclusive distribution networks through smart contracts; transmitting payments in real-time. Further, blockchain technology can also be used for authentication and provenance purposes in the detection and/or retrieval of counterfeit, stolen and parallel-imported goods.

QUESTIONS, PROBLEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:

• Overview Blockchain & IP
• How Blockchain will disrupt IP management
• IP Use Cases
• Latest Developments