"Two years have passed since the previous pan-European Intellectual Property Summit has been held in December 2008. The Community Patent, now renamed EU Patent, has made too little progress compared to high expectations from the industry. The CTM system, flowing at its cruising speed, is now even more challenged as to its relationships with the national trademark systems. Mass digital communications allowing free riding, as well as rising issues of climate change are also posing growing threats to IPR as a whole.
Europe does need quick, cheap, uniform and reliable IP systems. Innovation is a major key driver of competitiveness and economic growth. Following a string of financial crisis, the time for uncertainties should have been gone forever. Yet there are signs of hope, and leaders of the new generation at the helm of the European Commission, the European Patent Office, and the OHIM, are giving clearer indications that they want the IP systems to become more transparent and efficient.
On 2 & 3 December, the pan-European Intellectual Property Summit 2010 will welcome them as keynote speakers to provide guidance on business critical policies and reforms related to the EU Patent and the Court of Justice, the CTM, the Digital Agenda, anti-counterfeiting and IP enforcement within and outside the scope of the new Europe 2020 strategy.
With even more practical workshops but less concurrent streams than in the previous seasons, the atmosphere will be conducive to preposterous debates and lucrative networking opportunities.
In a line of successes, the 4th IP Summit will once again raise the debates on patents and trademarks to new heights, with a unique double focus on major pan-European IP reforms at stake, as well as down-to-earth industry case studies with truly many practical answers. Join hundreds of IP leaders, policy-makers and business executives on December 2-3 in Brussels.
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