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The Changing Wealth of Nations: Licensing Executives Address Intellectual Property Policies in the Age of Innovation
Leading policy makers from the Department of Commerce, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office addressed LES on the state of the regulatory and policy frameworks governing the discovery, development, and transfer of intellectual property. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Bruce Mehlman assured the group that the work of licensing executives “is absolutely critical to our efforts” to develop and formulate economic policy. Looking overseas, Secretary Mehlman reminded LES that “intellectual property rights are a core driver of technology-led economic development.” Hon. James Rogan, Commissioner of Patents at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office updated LES members on the USPTO’s challenge to maintain its “pendency and quality” in the face of a mounting volume of patent applications and the complexity of patent issues. Commissioner Rogan described how the USPTO was reinventing itself to better serve its constituents during its 200th anniversary this year. However, according to Rogan, “the office operates much the same” as when Thomas Jefferson examined patents as Secretary of State in George Washington’s administration. Other featured speakers at the 2002 LES Spring Meeting discussed the status of the Federal Trade Commission’s and the Department of Justice’s review of anti-trust jurisdictions for patents, the importance of intellectual property to improve homeland security, and the need for clear and consistent standards to report and communicate the value of intellectual assets for both public and private companies. These plenary sessions, along with a variety of focused workshops, provided meeting participants with a full range of information on the state of the art for managing intellectual property in this changing policy environment. LES will continue to work with national and international leaders to shape
policies that promote innovation through the application of new technology,
including intellectual property. The Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. & Canada), Inc. is a professional society comprised of more than 5,000 members engaged in the transfer, use, development, manufacture and marketing of Intellectual Property. Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. & Canada), Inc. is a member society of the Licensing Executives Society International, which has a worldwide membership of over 12,000 members in 27 national societies, representing over 80 countries.
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