IP experts and judges convene at HLS, discuss intellectual property laws

The biennial Harvard Law School Conference on Intellectual Property Law attracted scores of IP lawyers, business people, academicians, and judges to the school April 12 to discuss recent developments in IP law.

According to William W. Fisher, the WilmerHale Professor of Intellectual Property Law at HLS and co-chair of the event since its inception 10 years ago, the purpose of the conference is to stimulate discussion of IP law through a variety of mechanisms. This year’s conference featured a keynote speech by Quentin Palfrey ’02, former senior adviser at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, and an opportunity for attendees to examine current IP issues through participation in two case-study groups.

In welcoming remarks preceding the judges panel, HLS Dean Martha Minow cited the importance of innovation to the U.S. economy.

“(N)o economy will survive in the future unless it creates the climate of intellectual-property rules and dispute-resolution techniques that support and sustain innovation while at the same time protecting the investments that people have made,” she said. “This is perhaps the most interesting and challenging time for these issues that any civilization has ever encountered; and, frankly, the future of our country turns on whether or not you get it right.”

Read more about the conference on the Harvard Law School website.