26-27 April 2012: What Patent Law for the European Union?

April 26-27, 2012
European Parliament of Strasbourg

The European Patent System stands at crossroads. Whereas an agreement on the European Union patent was expected, the creation of such an instrument has encountered certain difficulties. As a consequence, the European institutions decided to implement a European patent with “unitary effect” through the mechanism of enhanced co-operation. At the same time, the Court of Justice of the European Union (the CJUE) issued a negative opinion on the legislative proposals to create a European Patent Court. The need to reflect on the future of the patent system in the European Union is felt as never before.
In this perspective, the CEIPI has brought together renowned academics, eminent professionals, judges as well as institutional representatives in the intellectual property field for a conference on the question: “What Patent Law for the European Union?”.

CEIPI is pleased to propose the presentations of the participants to this conference.

You can also watch the videos of the presentations online on the website canalc2 of the University of Strasbourg.

 Module 1: What patent system for the European Union?

• What patent system for the European Union ? by Christophe GEIGER, Associate Professor and Director General of the CEIPI

• The community trade mark and the community design : an example to follow ? by Dominika WALICKA, Litigation Service of the International Cooperation and Legal Affairs Department, OHMI
• The system of AIPO : an example of regional unified patent system by Paulin EDOU EDOU, Director General of AIPO
• The necessity of having a unified patent system, a perspective from the US by Jeffrey SAMUELS, Professor at University of Akron, United States
• The european patent with unitary effect and dispute resolution : What difficulties ? What solutions ? by Pierre VERON, Lawyer and former President of EPLAW
• The European patent with uitary effect : gateway to a European Union patent ? Perspectives from "Non-member States" (Spain, Italy) by Raquel SAMPEDRO, Head of Legal and European & PCT Patents Division of Spanish Patent and Trademark Office

• National patent, european patent, patent with unitary effect (and, in the future, European Union patent?) : Reflecting on their coexistence and coherence by Bruno VAN POTTELSBERGHE, Professor of economy at the Université libre de Bruxelles, dean of the Faculty Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management
• National patent, european patent, patent with unitary effect (and, in the future, European Union patent?) : reflecting on their coexistence and coherence by Simon ROBERTS, Lawyer, head of patents division, itnellectual property department, British Telecommunications

 Module 2: What court system for the European Union?

• Shorten the duration of proceedings (especially in the case of an opposition procedure) by Axel CASALONGA, European patent attorney
• Improve the quality of decisions (especially the issue of the right composition of the Court) by Beate SCHMIDT, President of the Federal Patent Court

• The future of the european patent court after the opinion of 08 march 2011 by Eskil WAAGE, lawyer, european Commission, DG Internal Market, Industrial property unit seconded from the EPO
• What conclusions can be drawn from the opinion of the Court of Justice regarding the European Patent Court ? by Thomas JAEGER, senior researcher Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property
• The issue of representation before the EU Patent Court by Wakter HOLZER, European Patent Attorney, former President of the EPI, Course Coordinator «Patent Litigation in Europe at CEIPI
• What place for alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms (towars a mediation and arbitration centre in the EU?) by Denis MONEGIER DU SORBIER, Lawyer, former President of French Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property and Professor

• The Swiss Federal Patent Court : a model to follow ? by Félix ADDOR, Deputy Director General and Chief Legal Counsel of the Institute, Head of Legal & International Affaires Division

 Module 3: What models for the patent of the European Union?

• Lessons from international and european Institutions by Mariagrazia SQUICCIARINI, Senior Economist OECD
• "Raising the Bar" : the EPO's reformed procedures for the european patent by Heli PIHLAJAMAA, Director of the Patent Law Directorate at the EPO
• The work of WIPO on the necessity of an efficient patent system for innovation (presentation and conclusion of the report of november 14th, 2011) by Philippe BAECHTOLD, Director of the patent law division WIPO

• Towards a harmonization of patent systems : a lokk at the US patent reform by Dan BURK, Professor of Law at University of California
• Different perspectives on patent quality by Hans ULLRICH, Professor emeritus and Visiting Professor at College of Europe, Bruges
• Different perspectives on patant quality by Grégoire DESROUSSEAUX, Lawyer
• Different perspectives on patant quality by Mireille BUYDENS, Professor at University of Louvain and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Lawyer

• Lessons from patent law decisions of the European Court of Justice by Justine PILA, University Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law, Oxford

• Perspectives for patent law in the European Union by Thierry SUEUR, Vice President Intellectual Property, Vice President European & International Affairs, Air Liquide
• Perspectives for patent law in the European Union by Antonius TANGENA, President of the European Patent Institute