This Friday, March 5, 2010, the Northwestern Journal of Technology & Intellectual Property hosts its Fifth Annual Symposium. The Symposium, titled "New Rules for a New Day," includes the following sessions:

• The Patenting of Social Interactions: Bilski Before the Supreme Court – a panel discussion on the Bilski case, what is at stake, and the Supreme Court’s options featuring Professor Matthew Sag of the DePaul University College of Law; Professor Joshua Sarnoff of the Washington College of Law at American University; Professor Jonathan Masur of the University of Chicago Law School; and Daniel Williams, a Partner at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP;

• Sharon Barner, Deputy Under Secretary and Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will provide the luncheon keynote on "Strategies for the USPTO: Ensuring America’s Innovation Future";

• Trademark and Copyright in the Days of Internet: The Google Influence – a panel discussion on the ramifications of the Google Books and Google AdWords cases and the protection of IP in the fluid landscape of the internet featuring Michael Baniak, a Partner at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP and Professor Matthew Sag of the DePaul University College of Law;

• Who Defines the Law? USPTO Rule Making Authority – a panel discussion on recent court challenges to the USPTO’s rulemaking and interpreting power, including the Cooper Technologies, Tafas, and Wyeth cases featuring Professor James Speta of the Northwestern University School of Law; Patent Docs author Donald Zuhn, a Partner at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP; Nicholas Zovko of Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP; and Professor Jonathan Masur of the University of Chicago Law School; and

• Redefining "Free": A Look at Open Source Software Management — a panel discussion on the pitfalls and issues that arise when open source code is included in a deal featuring John Hines, a Partner at Reed Smith LLP; Jon Christiansen of EscrowTech International Inc.; Alfred Hanna, a Partner at Reed Smith LLP; and Joseph Herndon, a Partner at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP.

More information is available at the Symposium’s website. Registration for the Symposium is free. CLE credit will be available to attendees for a fee of $200.