In This Issue Are You an Experienced Licensing Professional? Become a CLP President's Message: Foundation Focus
Vancouver Local Chapter Plays Key Role In Meeting 2007 Deals of Distinction Awarded At Annual Meeting:
Traveler’s Guide: The Local Chapters LES 2008 Spring Meeting & LESI Conference: |
Meeting Recap Annual Meeting Sets Sail in Vancouver The billowing white sails of Canada Place provided the perfect backdrop for an LES Annual Meeting that navigated the many facets of licensing. Vancouver opened its embrace to nearly 1,500 attendees and accompanying persons. To kick off the event, Past-President Allen Baum took center stage as the famous Agent 007, James Bond (a play on 2007), and thanked Meeting Chairs Michael Lasinski and Paul Roberts for their leadership in a meeting that was almost two years in the making. Baum introduced two new LES initiatives at Monday’s opening session—Power Networking and the Certified Licensing Professional (CLP). Most attendees took notice of the Grandfathering Clause as a "must do" when they return to their office. (See page 1 and insert.) Power Networking, which took place throughout the entire meeting, allowed attendees to make the most of their valuable time. Pre-arranged meetings were planned and communicated to participants, who were then able to connect in comfortable spaces throughout the venue. Marshall Phelps, Microsoft, started up the first plenary session with his views on open source and our changing world. "Open innovation is real, it is reshaping ten new rules for licensing, including "It’s the package, not the patent" and "Leadership cannot be outsourced." Wayne Paugh from the U.S. Department of Commerce opened everyone’s eyes with his presentation on IP infringement and counterfeiting. Can you tell the difference between real and fake goods? Many can’t, especially when it comes to counterfeit Viagra, which is made of painted blue drywall compound and being sold on the streets. The government has initiated STOP (Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy), making IP enforcement a priority. Monday’s Awards Luncheon honored Ted Cross, who received the Frank Barnes Mentor Award, and Procter & Gamble which was presented with the Licensing Achievement Award. Richard Razgaitis entertained the audience as the keynote speaker, filling in for Watts Wacker who had to cancel due to a family illness. The luncheon wrapped up with a presentation to Robert Goldsheider for the Outstanding Contribution in Licensing Award, recognizing his development of the 25% rule as a standard for licensing royalty rate determination. Part of each day was devoted to over 70 compelling workshops and mini-plenaries from the various sectors. Another feature of the program was the Hot Topics in licensing added daily to point out the latest trends.
Tuesday’s plenary featured Jim Malackowski, who introduced us to the world of IP Auctions pioneered by Ocean Tomo. He mentioned that patents get the highest prices when you set a low reserve. Malackowski compared this to consumer behavior on eBay. One important hallmark of the IP auctions is the confidentiality of the bidder, even though the auction is public. Next up on Tuesday was the panel discussion moderated by Allen Baum. The panel, which focused on acquiring and licensing patents as a business model, was kicked up a notch when John Amster and Dooyong Lee began a heated discussion about licensing revenues and deals. Barbara Yanni of Merck provided an excellent presentation on the risks and rewards of global healthcare opportunities. Yanni noted that Merck is encouraging a Virtual Lab where scientists look outside the company. They are embracing partnerships in co-development and co-commercialization because, as Yanni said, "Collaboration creates value, combining our strengths and sharing our successes." Darcy Toms of Axcan Pharma rounded out the healthcare line-up by describing the deal between Axcan and Cellerix for treatment of perianal fistulas using the patient’s own stem cells. Wednesday was another busy day, opening with the Deals of Distinction Awards during the mini-plenaries (See page 7). The day also marked transition to the new LES Board led by incoming President Tom Picone. A sparkling Gala Dinner and Reception brought another successful Annual Meeting to a close
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Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada), Inc. |
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