International Patent Forum 2014: what's in it for patent litigators?

This year's International Patent Forum 2014, masterminded by Managing Intellectual Property magazine, takes place in the congenial yet businesslike surroundings of London's Waldorf Hilton Hotel -- which is not so very far from the courts that decide so many important patent-related disputes at trial and appeal levels.  The Forum is to be held on 18 and 19 March, which is not so very far away.  PatLit is delighted to say that readers of this weblog are entitled to a £300 discount on their registration fee if they register via this link.  In-house counsel have an even better deal: they will be admitted free of all registration charges.

So what's in the programme for patent litigators? On Day One the afternoon programme looks like this, in relevant part:

Enforcement practice in China
• Trends in China’s increasing enforcement practice
• How protected is your IP in China?
• Best practices for patent-monetisation in China 

Litigation planning and forum shopping in Europe
• Implications of the Spanish legal challenge outcome
• Game over? Litigation planning and strategy under the new UPC
• Risks and opportunities of forum shopping in Europe 

Antitrust and IP litigation
• Why antitrust laws threaten your IP pool
• A guide to future trends in antitrust legislation, and to how this will impact on your IP portfolio

Day Two offers the following topics too:

NPEs and patent trolls roundtable: A global comparison
• Will there be a global rise of patent trolls?
• Measures to counter trolls without compromising on the strengths of patents in general
• Whose problem is it? New legislation versus sector self-defence

Russia focus

• Patent protection and enforcement in Russia
• Challenges in protecting your intangible assets in Russia
• How new legislation is about to further strengthen IP protection

There's a strong cast of speakers and commentators, so the event won't be short of instructive content, tempered by well-informed and experienced contributions from people in the "been there, done that" category.

Slightly frustratingly, this blogger will be out of the country on 18/19 March, so will be hearing about the proceedings only at second hand.  If any readers of this blog are planning on attending and would like to write up any of their thoughts and comments for publication on this weblog, can they please get in touch by emailing jjip@btinternet.com.