Standards and Patents: a conference and a competition

The Fourth Annual Conference on Standards and Patents, organised by IBC Legal Conferences and which will be held in the Crowne Plaza London St James (whoever thought up that name for a hotel?), takes place on 16 and 17 November.  The IPKat is looking forward to it since he, his associated weblog PatLit and legendary US weblog Patently-O are among the event's many media sponsors.  The panel of speakers over the two days is unusually strong, featuring leading specialist patent judges, lawyers and patent owners, and contains many of the Kat's friends -- but that's not the only reason for attending. The programme itself addresses topics of great relevance in those industrial sectors where huge profits can be obtained if patent licensing policy, IP rules and competition barriers are all correctly sorted out -- while huge losses, market exclusion and commercial wipe-out can result if you get just one small thing wrong.  Topics covered include

• Patent pooling
• The market for patent portfolios
• Trolls and non-practising entities
• Paying for patent litigation and cost-shifting
• Competition law and policy issues in principle and in practice
• The impact of change on standards bodies

You can view the whole programme, and registration details, by clicking here.  Use this link and, as an IPKat reader, you'll be entitled to a generous 10% discount on the cost of registration.

In traditional IPKat fashion, there's a competition to go with the conference.  Win this and you will enjoy the benefit of complimentary registration, two networking lunches, four networking breaks and two cups of registration coffee. As for the competition, well -- it's time for poetry again!  Your task is to compose a limerick that begins with the words "A crafty inventor called Fred".  Closing date for entries is Sunday 24 October.  Email your entries to the IPKat here, with the subject line "Patent limerick".  Beware: the best entries will be published on this weblog ...