Center for Interdisciplinary Law and Policy Studies

The Future of Patent Reform

February 23, 2007

• View Archived Webcast: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

For the first time in more than 50 years, Congress is considering major reforms to the patent system. Reform bills and proposals have come on the heels of much criticism from businesses (including many in the technology and software industries), from legal commentators and practitioners, and even from parts of the federal government itself (including the Federal Trade Commission's 2003 Report, To Promote Innovation: The Proper Balance Between Competition and Patent Law and Policy).

But is the patent system really in need of major reforms? If so, what should those reforms entail? This symposium examines these questions and "The Future of Patent Reform" in the United States. The symposium will bring together representatives from business, government, law practice, legal academia, and the nonprofit and university sectors, in an effort to address some of the most important questions for our patent system and innovation today.

The Future of Patent Reform is cosponsored by the Center for Interdisciplinary Law and Policy Studies and I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society.

Confirmed Speakers

	James Bessen (Web Profile) Lecturer in Law, Boston University School of Law; Director, Research on Innovation (Bessen's Presentation )
	Kevin Collins (Web Profile) Associate Professor of Law, Indiana University School of Law (Collins' Presentation )
	Susan DeSanti former Deputy General Counsel for Policy Studies, Federal Trade Commission (DeSanti's Presentation )
	Cynthia Ho (Web Profile) Clifford E. Vickrey Research Professor; Director, Intellectual Property and Technology Program, Loyola University-Chicago School of Law
	Todd Harrington Senior Intellectual Property Attorney, Battelle (Harrington's Presentation )
	Spencer Hosie (Web Profile) Founding partner, Hosie & McArthur LLP & counsel for burst.com (Hosie's Presentation )
	Jay Kesan (Web Profile) Professor; Director, Program in Intellectual Property & Technology Law, University of Illinois College of Law (Kesan's Presentation )
	David Kettner (Web Profile) Deputy General Counsel, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (Kettner's Presentation )
	Douglas Lichtman (Web Profile) Professor of Law, The University of Chicago
	Beth Noveck (Web Profile) Professor of Law, New York Law School, & Founder, Peer-to-Patent project
	Dave Stewart Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, RealNetworks
	R. Polk Wagner (Web Profile) Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania (Wagner's Presentation )