May 2012 Patent Institutions Summit

 

Co-sponsored by the Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology and the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology

Monday, May 21, 2012
Stanford Law School

Now that the America Invents Act (AIA) has been signed into law, many of the most promising opportunities for continued progress in improving the patent system lie in PTO initiatives and improvements in dispute resolution.  Under Director Kappos’s leadership, the Patent Office has instituted a wide range of administrative reforms and data-driven initiatives aimed at better aligning the patent system.  The Federal Circuit has taken a much more active role in addressing perceived weaknesses in patent jurisprudence.  The district courts – led by the Northern District of California have made substantial strides in improving patent dispute resolution.  And the ITC has emerged as a major player in patent enforcement.  The Patent Institutions Summit brings together key officials from the principal patent institutions to discuss and exchange ideas on the next era of patent system evolution. With significant patent reform unlikely for the foreseeable future, the PTO, Federal Circuit, district courts, and ITC will play critical, front-line roles in improving the patent system.  Coordinating their activities and measuring/evaluating their progress will be essential to the next phase of progress.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Shara L. Aranoff, Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission; Justice Jeremy Fogel, Director of the Federal Judicial Center;

David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); and Hon. Kathleen O’Malley, United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

 

TAP Review: Key Discussions from the Patent Institutions Summit – from June 5, 2012