IP Summit, Plaza Hotel, Brussels
For those who made it through the snow, December’s IP Summit in Brussels provided much food for thought. Representatives from the European Commission, OHIM and the EPO spoke eloquently about the challenges facing Europe in the intellectual property sphere, while a selection of in-house counsel, investors and private practice attorneys discussed subjects ranging from private equity investment, to competition law and anti-counterfeiting.
Among the highlights of a varied programme was European Commission Digital Agenda chief Neelie Kroes’s keynote address on open innovation. Describing advances in mobile, Internet and computing technologies as “a ticket to a better way of living”, she highlighted openness as a key element if Europe is to be a successful pioneer in this area.
Kroes called for a shift from “working in silos to collaborations”, and said that “the next step is a shared process in which knowledge is made available openly and transparently for all to develop Internet-based products and services on the new [public private partnership] platform.” As for intellectual property rights, Kroes envisages that “the platform functionalities will be specified in technical documents and can be implemented by all third parties under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory conditions.”
António Campinos, who took over as president of OHIM last year, spoke about the office’s future role—one that he envisages as greater than simply a registration office for trademarks and designs. “We have an obligation, and potentially the resources, to do some things to make the whole IP system work better, and that’s what we will be looking into,” he said.
Of particular note was Campinos’ plan to further involve OHIM in enforcement activities, especially through “initiatives such as the Commission’s Observatory on counterfeiting and piracy”. Indeed, delegates suggested that OHIM may even take on the management of the Observatory in the future. Along with a greater role in international discussion and co-operation, and various undertakings to make OHIM more efficient and effective, Caminos is looking forward to OHIM becoming a “true IP agency”.
Panel discussions were wide-ranging, but of particular interest was one concerning the protection of IP rights online, featuring representatives from eBay and the English Premier League, and covering the gamut from protecting luxury brands to enforcing IP rights for television broadcasts. Another, on IP investment, was notable for input from private equity investors—an acknowledgement that IP assets are finally increasingly seen as central to investment, rather than desirable add-ons to other assets.
Finally, the conference saw the launch of the IP Patent Fair, a week-long event that will take place in Brussels this December, offering practitioners the opportunity to gain in-depth insight into some of the most important industries and organisations in IP.
