Standards and Patents in ICT -- or snooker for cats?

If you don't want to be snookered
by patents and standards  ...

Are you up to your neck in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector -- or would you like to be? And do you have a passion for patents and an abiding interest in those funny things that their owners do with them when they want to capitalise on the power of their own patents while simultaneously not being snookered by the patents of their competitors? And do you wonder whether the patent system can actually deliver good value to consumers who couldn't care anything about patents at all but do want phones that they can use cheaply and easily, whether they're calling landlines, mobile networks, sending text messages, testing out the latest apps or downloading an increasingly impressive ringtone?  Do you marvel at the point of intersection between (i) patent law, which creates monopoly rights, (ii) standard-setting arrangements that seek to share them and (iii) competition rules that seem to tie you up in knots if either (i) or (ii) seem to be working?  If so ...

... on 12 June 2012, the Second Annual LexisNexis Butterworths Standards and Patents in ICT conference will be held in London, the City of Olympic Dreams [says the IPKat] and Public Transport Nightmares [says a naughtily cynical Merpel]. As one might expect from a LexisNexis Butterworths event, there's a strong cast of speakers: contributions from David Barron, Richard Vary, Jane Mutimear, Daniel Hermele, Claudia Tapia Garcia, Oliver Jan Jüngst, Jenni Lukander and C Gregory Gramenopoulos guarantee that you'll have inputs from

... take a cue from
some notable experts

• private practice in the UK
• private practice in the USA
• A surprise contributor from the European Commission
• Nokia, Qualcomm and RIM
• people who litigate patents and standards
• people who believe in FRAND licensing
• people with interesting surnames

Although they have not yet gone so far as to seek charitable status, the organisers have shown a most welcome streak of generosity to this weblog's indigent readers and have kindly agreed to offer the IPKat's friends and followers a most welcome  20% discount off the regular registration fee of £599. The programme can be perused in its fullness here.  If you want to claim your IPKat reader 20% discount, contact the organisers at ebookings@lexisnexis.co.uk and quote the word "IPKat".

Katpic above: The Cat Gallery