Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada) Amps Up Annual Meeting Lineup with Compelling Array of Newly-Added Sessions

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada) has announced the addition of several compelling sessions to its already packed Annual Meeting lineup, including an exclusive interactive panel discussion with top executives who orchestrated the recent billion-dollar AOL-Facebook-Microsoft patent deal that has soundly established a new benchmark for average patent valuation.

“change the standard used to invalidate patents from the long standing clear and convincing standard to a preponderance of evidence standard.”

The LES meeting, October 14-17 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto, is expected to draw over 1,000 of the world’s leading IP, licensing and business development professionals from top companies, research institutions, government labs and other technology-oriented organizations. The meeting program is interactive and relevant to all industry sectors with a rich program covering timely IP topics, trends and tools. Click here to view the full meeting program, including on-site and virtual programming and a list of attending companies.

Newly-Added Highlights Include:

High Tech: An Exclusive Look Inside the Recent Billion Dollar Deal Between AOL-Facebook-Microsoft. Hear about the strategies and negotiations behind the billion-dollar deal from the people who made it happen. The transaction has not only set a new benchmark for average patent valuation, but it has also worked to the strategic advantage of all three parties with benefits far beyond just monetary compensation. This is the latest in a series of massive high tech deals that has wowed the business community in recent months, as industry giants jockey for competitive and safe market positions in the quickly evolving business landscape. Is this trend here to stay?

High Tech/IP Law: “The Role that the i4i Supreme Court Decision played in Creating a Tipping Point in Patent Values” i4i Chairman Loudon Owen joins panelists who will tell the i4i vs. Microsoft litigation story complete with Amicus Brief strategies relating to the Supreme Court Hearing, with specific focus on the Supreme Court question to "change the standard used to invalidate patents from the long standing clear and convincing standard to a preponderance of evidence standard."

Consumer Products: Motorola Mobility, Church & Dwight (owners of the Arm & Hammer brand) and Jarden Consumer Products (makers of Sunbeam and Oster appliances) leaders host “360 Degrees of Licensing - Recent Case Studies” to discuss how a variety of '360 degree tools' are used to develop licensing programs to support some of the world's most successful brands. Hear how Motorola's 'license bundle' paved the way for a new 'cross border' business opportunity, how Jarden Consumer Solutions joined forces with a competitor in the consumer appliance category to create a 'win-win' licensing program, and how Church & Dwight approaches technology innovation leading to the further growth of the Arm & Hammer portfolio of products.

International IP: Russia joined the WTO this year and while many changes to its IP laws are in place, the country has decided to have a new IP court in place and working by February 1, 2013. In “Russia Joins the WTO: Changes in the Russian IP & Tech Climate Coming,” panelists will discuss the development of innovation, available funding for foreign partners and tech transfer opportunities in Russia, as well as concerns regarding the rule of law, the related tax system, the role of the Anti-Monopoly Laws and the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service in ensuring a level playing field, and the vital legal strategies needed to commercialize IP assets in the jurisdiction.

Industry/University/Government Interface: “SBIR/STTR Program: Funding Your Company Without Giving Up Equity and Obtaining Government Sole Source Opportunities” will detail the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs including recent changes resulting from the reauthorization bill. John Williams, Program Director for the U.S. Navy, will offer the Department of Defense’s perspective and further relevant aspects of the reauthorization bill.

Life Science/IP Law: In addition to a highly-anticipated keynote address from noted genomic researcher Dr. Eric Topol on the convergence of Life Sciences and High Tech, the Life Science Sector will also host “Research Tools and Other Exceptions to Infringement: How Useful are They?”. The breadth of the "safe harbor" exemption to patent infringement for activities related to FDA approval has been hotly litigated since 35 U.S.C. 271(e)(1) was first passed in 1984. Now the Federal Circuit has announced (in Momenta v. Amphastar) that post-ANDA approval activities by the ANDA filer are exempt from patent infringement, opening the door a bit further for would be infringers. Indeed, the Supreme Court’s 2005 Merck v. Integra decision intentionally leaves open the question of whether the exemption applies to research tools. This panel, including Edward Murray, Merck & Company Managing Counsel for IP Litigation, will follow the case law since the Supreme Court's Merck decision, consider the uncertainty that still remains, and explore strategies for addressing enforcement.

LES will also host a discussion and tour of the extraordinary MaRS Centre. MaRS drives social and economic prosperity by leading Canada’s innovation mission. The Centre is a 700,000 square foot mix of heritage and modern architecture complete with lab facilities, offices, event venues, incubator space, and retail services.

“We’re very proud of the quality and depth of our Annual Meeting program,” said LES (USA & Canada) President Thomas Filarski. “This is truly a defining time for our industry and my colleagues in the field are unrelenting in their quest for inspired perspectives, cutting-edge strategies and tools, and the latest trends and information to maximize their productivity and success in the marketplace. This meeting will offer all of these things and more. It is unquestionably the premier licensing event of the year.”

For more information or to register, visit www.les2012.org.