LSI Successful Multilateral Patents Workshop

    By Donald Zuhn --

Law Seminars International (LSI) will be holding a Successful Multilateral Patents workshop on April 7, 2008 in Arlington, VA.  The workshop will provide information on:

• Successful patent preparation and prosecution with the EPO, the JPO, Australia, and China.
• Update on multilateral initiatives:  USPTO, EPO, JPO, and others.
• Selecting foreign jurisdictions most appropriate for patent applications.
• Drafting the specification and claims in a multilateral patent application.
• Litigating patents overseas and country-specific considerations.

In particular, LSI's faculty will offer presentations on the following topics:

-- Focus on Europe:  Successful preparation and prosecution:

• Formal requirements for the description and claims in the EPO;
• EPO operational issues;
• The problem/solution approach to inventive step.

-- Focus on Japan:  Successful preparation and prosecution:

• How the JPO determines lack of inventive step;
• How the description and claims should be drafted for success.

-- Focus on Australia:  Successful preparation and prosecution:

• Preparing specifications and claims to maximize patent protection in Australia;
• Tips and strategies for expediting Australian patent prosecution.

-- Focus on China:  Successful preparation and prosecution:

• Perspectives and suggestions on patent prosecution in China;
• The current patent system and development trends of patent law in China

-- Update on multilateral initiatives:  USPTO, EPO, JPO, and others:

• Current trilateral activities directed toward harmonizing application format;
• Status of pilot programs for sharing priority documents and search results;
• New procedures under consideration and their impact on patent practice;
• Activity at WIPO.

-- Managing multilateral patent procurement:

• Selecting foreign jurisdictions most appropriate for patent applications corresponding to a prior U.S. case;
• Ensuring consistent claim coverage across multiple countries;
• Management systems;
• Managing outside counsel.

-- Drafting the specification and claims in a multilateral patent application:

• Can a U.S. application be drafted for later successful foreign prosecution with essentially no changes in the specifications?
• Proposed form introduced;
• Interactive panel addressing benefits and drawbacks;
• Drafting issues;
• Multiple jurisdiction claims.

-- Litigating patents overseas:  Country-specific considerations:

• Pre-filing considerations, discovery issues, trial procedures, remedies, and cultural issues of litigating patents in the UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Japan and China.

The agenda for the Successful Multilateral Patents workshop can be found here.  A complete brochure for this workshop, including an agenda, list of speakers, and registration form can be downloaded here.

The registration fee is $347.50 for students and new employees,$545 for government employees, or $695 for all other attendees. Those interested in registering for the conference can do so here, by calling 1-800-854-8009, or by faxing a registration form to 1-206-567-5058.