CHICAGO, Feb. 4, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- How are viral videos and other social media phenomena treated under copyright, false endorsement and right of publicity law? What are the best practices for trademark surveys in the digital era? How can patent owners thwart challenges from third parties in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings? Those topics and more are among the top issues hitting intellectual property law, as The John Marshall Law School hosts its 60th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference.
On Feb. 26, the Center for Intellectual Property, Information & Privacy Law will host experts from around the country who will discuss the latest in patent, trademark, copyright and trade secrets law.
Probir Mehta, acting assistant U.S. Trade Representative for IP & Innovation, and the lead negotiator for the U.S. regarding IP issues in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, will deliver the keynote address. Christal Sheppard, director of the Midwest Regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), will address current challenges and opportunities facing the USPTO. Leading practitioners Adam Kelly, Michael Kelber, William McGrath and Mark Halligan will discuss recent developments in patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret law in the morning plenary session. In the afternoon, participants will have the option of attending either patent- or copyright- and trademark-focused panels.
Afternoon sessions include:
- A panel of federal district judges, including Hon. Ruben Castillo, Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, who will discuss patent litigation and alternative dispute resolution
- A presentation on the Lexmark case involving the ability of consumers to buy refurnished and resold goods, ranging from printer cartridges to drugs, from Professor Daryl Lim, director of John Marshall's Center for Intellectual Property, Information & Privacy Law
- An in-depth look at recent practices in trademark surveys by noted survey expert Professor Shari Diamond of the Northwestern Pritzker University School of Law
- Drafting and prosecuting patents in the current challenging environment
John Marshall boasts the 17th-ranked IP program in the nation and has been a consistent leader in intellectual property law since it began offering IP courses nearly 80 years ago. John Marshall is one of 42 law schools in the country to participate in the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program. It is the only law school in Illinois whose USPTO program includes both patent and trademark practice areas.
Who:
- Probir Mehta, Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for IP & Innovation
- Christal Sheppard, Director of the Midwest Regional USPTO
- Hon. Ruben Castillo, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
What: 60th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference
Where: The John Marshall Law School, 315 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60604
When: Feb. 26, 8:45 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
How Much: $195 general registration; $95 government, judicial, or academic registration; free to John Marshall students and faculty. Recent JMLS graduates can attend for the reduced rate. Approximately 6.5 hours of CLE credit (pending approval) is available.