June 2011 USPTO-District Court Interface

 


   
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Bancroft Hotel, Berkeley, CA

Patents are examined and granted by the patent office but their true value is ultimately decided by the courts. At this conference, officials from the United States Patent & Trademark Office, District Court Judges, academic experts and experienced practitioners will examine the existing contours of the interface between the USPTO and the Courts to discuss proposed improvements that could make patent prosecution and litigation more efficient and effective.  We will focus on two salient issues of great interest to both institutions: (1) The challenges of examining claims for definiteness and interpreting claims in litigation and (2) managing concurrent reexamination and district court litigation.
   
The conference will open with a special keynote address by the new USPTO Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director Teresa Stanek Rae, who will give an overview of USPTO initiatives and their current status. Also participating in the conference from the USPTO will be Acting Associate Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy Robert W. Bahr; Attorney-Advisor Elaine Gin; Chief Economist Stuart Graham, and Associate Solicitor Scott Weidenfeller.
  
Joining the discussion are judges from the Northern District of California, Central District of California, District of New Jersey, Northern District of Illinois, and Eastern District of Texas.
  
4.0 units of MCLE credit are offered for attending this program.