Please join me this Friday, March 6 for the Northwestern Journal of Technology & Intellectual Property’s annual symposium.  I will be moderating a debate over whether business methods should be patentable in light of the recent Bilski decision.  McDonnell Boehnen’s Bob Irvine will argue for business methods and Knobbe Martens’ Lauren Katzenellenbogen will argue against.  If that debate is not enough to get you to the Symposium, here is a sampling of the other excellent presentations:

  • The Northern District’s Chief Judge Holderman will give the not to be missed keynote presentation:  "Ten Commandments for Conducting an Intellectual Property Jury Trial."
  • Panel on Tafas v. Dudas, Patent Rules Changes, and Patent Reform – a panel discussion on the Tafas case and patent reform bills recently considered by Congress featuring Chris Singer of McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff, and Patent Docs author, will discuss the Tafas v. Dudas decision and the effects the proposed changes would have had on patent practice, and Prof. Sean Seymore of the Washington and Lee University School of Law, and Prof. Matthew Sag of DePaul University College of Law, who will add a viewpoint from outside the practicing legal community.
  • Discussion of Employer Invention Assignment Agreements after DDB Technologies L.L.C. v. MLB Advanced Media, L.P. – a panel discussion regarding the best ways for protecting a client’s interests (whether the individual or the company) in an invention assignment agreement following DDB Technologies, featuring Mike Baniak of McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff, and Todd Dawson, Vice President of Legal Affairs at Zimmer, Inc.

More information is available at the Symposium’s website.  Registration is free, although CLE credit costs $50 per credit hour.  To register contact the development editor, Michael Hammer, m-hammer2009@nlaw.northwestern.edu.