CIPA Congress: patent attorneys target IP commercialisation

CIPA Congress can be fun -- but there's
a thoroughly serious side to it

"The Lifecycle of Intellectual Property: Intellectual Property From Cradle to Grave" is the impressive title of this year's CIPA Congress. Since this event is run by the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, one might mistakenly think that Congress is all about a load of patent attorneys getting together in order to talk shop and exchange grumbles over patent offices (particularly the European one), patent examiners, courts and clients. Fortunately nothing could be further from the truth: Congress gives the profession a chance to look beyond the daily trials and tribulations of patent practice and discuss topics that require a far greater degree of vision, commitment and understanding. An example of this can be found in Session 7, as Dominic Forsyth and Greg Corcoran explain to this blogger:

"A full and diverse panel has now been confirmed for Session 7, which addresses a range of important issues facing actors in the world of licensing and commercialisation. Experienced in-house attorney Greg Corcoran of ASML chairs the session and will coordinate talks from three very different perspectives.

* Dr Kevin Scott (Royal Philips) will share his experience and expertise from the perspective of a large, innovative multinational, discussing various ways that licensing and open innovation models can be used to achieve effective collaborations and extract value from innovations. He will provide insight on how a multinational can leverage its IP to obtain the best return on investment.

* Dr Hayley French will provide views from a dynamic young biotechnology firm, Apitope International, which has used licensing agreements to forge partnerships with investors and pharmaceutical companies worldwide. She will discuss the techniques employed by a young biotech firm to use its IP to survive in a highly competitive market.

* Dr Adam Stoten will share experience gained over 25 years by Isis Innovation, one of the UK's leading university tech transfer organisations. Having executed more than 1,000 commercial licences and supported the creation of more than 80 new companies, Isis has had the opportunity to see over the long term how agreements really stand the test of time. He will share ideas about how an established tech transfer organisation translates academic discoveries into real products and services which benefit society."

If you can get there, Congress takes place on 2 and 3 October at the Lancaster London Hotel, London W2 2TY.  For further information and registration details, click here.