From FRAND to the IP crisis, Fordham hits the hot topics

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

From FRAND to the IP crisis, Fordham hits the hot topics

Want to know what the most interesting, complex and controversial IP issues are today? The programme for the 22nd annual Fordham IP Law & Policy Conference is a good place to start

fordham20theatre.jpg

The latest version of the programme – all 44 pages of it – was posted online on Friday and as usual it reflects some of the most pressing IP issues from around the world.

FRAND and Standard Essential Patents are there, of course, as are SPCs and the UPC from Europe – the latter with a panel featuring judges, lawyers, EPO representatives and in-house counsel. There is also a tantalising session comparing the new Inter Partes Review at the USPTO and Oppositions at the EPO, featuring speakers from the US, Japan and Europe.

hugh20hansen.jpg

Broader policy issues are also prominent, with the opening session on “Multilateral/FTA Issues & Policy” featuring views from Washington DC and Brussels. At the back end of the week, “Crisis in IP or Not?” promises to look at the “anti-IP boomerang”. For those attendees that need a lift at 7.30am, the sunrise seminar, “Judicial Influence in Trademark Law; Why SCOTUS has Little and CJEU has Less and Less”, at which Fordham professor of law Hugh Hansen (right) will speak, will be more invigorating than a double espresso.

I also look forward to seeing how the panel on “US Patent Law: Recent Developments” (which includes Jay Thomas and Hal Wegner and is moderated by Martin Adelman) manage to cover the various controversial Supreme Court and Federal Circuit case and stick to their allotted time of 45 minutes. There will be no lack of strong opinions there.

maria-pallante140.jpg

Some of the most lively discussions are likely to be in the copyright field. US Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante (right) and European Commission copyright supremo Maria Martin-Prat have top billing in “Copyright Review Around the World”. There is also a 65-minute session on Aereo, with what look to be a range of views represented on the panel, while another panel on “Orphan Works & Extended Collective Licensing” addresses a highly topical and emotive issue. European copyright practitioners will note from the preview for “EU Copyright: Recent Developments” that it looks like Lord Justice Floyd has prepared a provocative presentation.

I should at this point declare an interest as Managing IP is a media partner and I will be participating at Fordham. I’m delighted to be moderating a session on trade mark litigation in the EU, featuring Judge Allan Rosas of the CJEU and a great panel from across Europe. I’m sure we will also pick up some unfinished debates from previous years in the sessions on “Recent Developments in the EU” and “Global Legislative Developments”.

Trade mark practitioners will also be queuing up for the sessions on “TTAB and OHIM Boards of Appeal: A Comparison” which is preceded by a live hearing of the TTAB case Promark Brands v GFA Brands.

fordham.jpg

Thanks to the reputation built up over the past 20 years, it goes without saying that Professor Hansen and his team have once again secured many top-notch speakers for the faculty, including the leaders of the USPTO and Mexico’s INPI, the president of OHIM and WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. There are too many judges to count (four active and retired judges just from the UK, I think) as well as many notable academics and practitioners.

But as Hugh always emphasises, one of the features of Fordham is that you could swap the stage and audience and still have the same quality of debate. The programme specifically recognises this fact this year, and there are designated audience members for some panels.

If all that sounds over-enthusiastic, here’s one note of reservation: as regular participants at Fordham will know, the speakers and panellists can change right up to the last minute, so do keep checking the website for the latest information.

More information about the conference, which takes place on April 24 and 25, is online at the Fordham IP Institute site. We will of course be reporting on discussions as much as we can on managingip.com too.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

IP is becoming one of the most significant drivers of major deals, and law firms are altering their practices to reflect the change
In the second in a new podcast series celebrating the tenth anniversary of IP Inclusive, we discuss IPause, a network set up to support those experiencing (peri)menopause
Firms are adapting litigation strategy as Brazil’s unique legal system and technical expertise have made preliminary injunctions a key tool in global patent disputes
A ruling on confidentiality by the the England and Wales Court of Appeal and an intervention from the US government in the InterDigital v Disney litigation were also among top talking points
Moore & Van Allen hires former Teva counsel Larry Rickles to help expand the firm’s life sciences capabilities
Canadian law firms should avoid ‘tunnel vision’ as exclusive survey reveals client dissatisfaction with risk management advice and value-added services
In major recent developments, the CoA ruled on director liability for patent infringement, and Nokia targeted Paramount at the UPC and in Germany
Niri Shan, the newly appointed head of IP for UK, Ireland and the Middle East, explains why the firm’s international setup has brought UPC success, and addresses German partner departures
Vlad Stanese joins our ‘Five minutes with’ series to discuss potentially precedent-setting trademark and copyright cases and his love for aviation
Heath Hoglund, president of Via LA, discusses how it sets royalty rates and its plans to build on growth in China
Gift this article