Schedule and Faculty

Schedule times listed below are for the live seminar. Times for replays may differ due to varied start times and abbreviated lunch and break periods. Please refer to the DATES/LOCATION tab for individual replay start times.

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

9:00 – 9:50 a.m.

U.S. Patent Prosecution Practice: A Review of the Recent Court Decisions Concerning Patent-Eligible Subject Matter for the Patent Prosecutor

  • A Bilski case insider offers her take on the Supreme Court oral arguments and record number of amicus curiae briefs

  • Recent court decisions on patent-eligible subject matter

  • The next Bilski? A look at statutory subject matter cases waiting in the wings

– Erika Harmon Arner

9:50 – 10:00 a.m.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

10:00 – 10:50 a.m.

Latest Developments in Inter Partes Reexam Practice and Case Law Update

  • An update on latest decisions relating to reexamination and in particular inter partes reexamination

  • An update of latest trends seen in prosecution of ongoing inter partes reexaminations

  • An update of latest trends in use of inter partes reexaminations for strategic purposes

– Greg H. Gardella

10:50 – 11:00 a.m.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

11:00 – 11:15 a.m.

BREAK

11:15 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.

EPO Patent Prosecution Practice: What Should U.S. Attorneys Know and Do

  • Why the latest EPO Rule changes are going to force US attorneys to become expert European claim drafters

  • How failing to play in accordance with the new rules will hit your clients in the pocket

  • What attorneys need to do to avoid these problems, maximize protection and reduce European prosecution costs

– Nicholas Fox

12:05 – 12:15 p.m.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

12:15 – 1:15 p.m.

LUNCH (on your own)

1:15 – 2:00 p.m.

The Shifting Sands of Software Patenting: Strategies for Protecting Today’s Computer-Based Innovations

  • Strategies for implementing the USPTO’s interim guidance

  • Lessons from recent Board of Patent Appeals decisions

  • Special challenges to software claims under 35 USC 112 and 103

– Erika Harmon Arner

2:00 – 2:45 p.m.

How to Address Subject Matter Rejections in Patent Prosecutions: A Panel Discussion

– Erika Harmon Arner, Greg H. Gardella, Brad D. Pedersen & Mark T. Skoog, Ph.D.
– Timothy E. Bianchi (moderator)

2:45 – 3:00 p.m.

BREAK

3:00 – 3:45 p.m.

Patent Law Reform Update: What It May Mean for the Average Practitioner

  • An update on the status of various legislative bills concerning patent law changes

  • An update of status of Patent Office rulemaking (various topics)

  • An update of status of ongoing process changes proposed at the Patent Office

– Brad D. Pedersen

3:45 – 4:30 p.m.

The Value of IP Insurance to Patent Lawyers and Clients

  • Real life examples of instances where IP insurance was important in IP disputes

  • How IP insurance "evens the playing field" in IP disputes

  • Overview of the types of IP insurance available

– Chuck Baxter & Alex Fjelstad