IP Summit, Plaza Hotel, Brussels

Delegates braved the wintry conditions to hear the latest IP developments from an array of influential public officials, corporate counsel and law firm practitioners.

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.”