2015-2016 Center Events

Watch the Kovacic/Hansen IP-Antitrust Conversation Online

November 13, 2015 | Noon

The “senior statesman of the antitrust world,” Professor William Kovacic, Global Competition Professor of Law and Policy and Director of the Competition Law Center at George Washington University Law School, returned to John Marshall on November 13, 2015, for a public dialogue about patent and antitrust law with Fordham Law Professor Hugh Hansen. Their conversation touched on the relevance of antitrust institutions in the context of recent developments in technology and pharmaceuticals, as well as other IP arenas.

60th Annual Intellectual Property Conference

“Hot Topics & Current Developments in Patent, Trademark, Copyright, and Trade Secret Law”
February 26, 2016 | 9 a.m.

Celebrating its 60th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference, John Marshall is proud to host Probir Mehta, Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for IP & Innovation; Christal Sheppard, Director of the Midwest Regional USPTO; and a host of other prominent IP practitioners who will share their insights into the most important IP developments and their future impact. The conference includes annual reviews of all four major fields of IP, as well as breakout sessions that focus on the most current and problematic areas of IP protection.

Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series: Kenneth Adamo (LLM ’89), Kirkland & Ellis

“The Enforcement World is Turning: Recent Changes in USITC Law and Practice”
March 23, 2016 | Noon

In the past year, major new USITC cases relating to induced infringement (Suprema v. USITC), electronic importation and USITC jurisdiction (ClearCorrect v. USITC), and various procedural and substantive matters regarding the USITC’s requirement for a domestic industry as a basis for jurisdiction have led to an altered landscape for this important trade-based mechanism for challenging certain conduct allegedly violative of IP rights. These and other developments will be reviewed and possible substantive and tactical paths forward addressed.

Joint Event with the Copyright Society of the USA, featuring Robert Brauneis

“The Challenge to Copyright in the World’s Most Popular Song: From Academic Article to $14 Million Settlement”
April 4, 2016 | 4 p.m.

Professor Robert Brauneis will speak on his research involving the song “Happy Birthday to You,” the conduct of the lawsuits challenging copyright in the song, and Warner/Chappell’s agreement to relinquish all rights to the song and pay $14 million to reimburse those who paid to license it.

Watch the Presentation Online

Distinguished IP Speaker Series: Acting Chief Judge Nathan Kelley, Patent Trial and Appeal Board

“Two Views of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office”
April 5, 2016 | 4 p.m.

Serving first as its Solicitor and now as the Acting Chief Judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, Judge Nathan Kelley has had the rare opportunity to lead two different parts of the USPTO. In his talk, he will share insights and observations gained from both roles.

Patent Litigation 2016: The Courts and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board

w/ Chief Judge Sharon Prost, Court of Appeals for the Federal District & Chief Judge Ruben Castillo and Judge Edmong Chang, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
April 28, 2016 | 8:45 a.m.

Jointly sponsored with the Federal Circuit Bar Association, The John Marshall Law School, Notre Dame Law School, and DePaul University College of Law, this conference will cover current patent law issues from the judicial, practitioner, and in-house counsel perspectives, including claim construction in the courts and PTAB, patent damages, case management, ethics, and a special panel on hot patent topics. Speakers include Chief Judge Sharon Prost, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; Chief Judge Ruben Castillo and Judge Edmond Chang, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; senior practitioners; and professors from the University of Chicago, Northwestern and Notre Dame.

Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series: Themi Anagnos (’00), Director of Intellectual Property for the Americas; Deputy General Counsel, Continental Automotive

“The Risks and Obligations of Open Source Software Licenses”
June 9, 2016 | Noon

Open-source software is often thought of as “free software”; however, these types of licenses have obligations and associated risks. This presentation will provide an overview of developing products with OSS and strategies to protect proprietary technology in those products.