I had the pleasure of attending IPWatchdog LIVE 2024 from September 29 to October 1, 2024, and it was an incredible experience. A big thank you to Gene Quinn and Renee C. Quinn for the opportunity. The event brought together some of the brightest minds in intellectual property, and I’m excited to share what I learned.
One of the highlights was a global panel on monetization. We discussed the outlook on how to make money from intellectual property as we approach the end of 2024 and look ahead to 2025. I was honored to sit alongside Daniel Papst, Sukla Chandra, and Anup Misra to share insights on where the industry is heading.
Here’s a recap of my experience and key takeaways from IPWatchdog LIVE 2024.
IPWatchdog LIVE 2024: Key Insights on Intellectual Property for Inventors
Day 1:
Attending events like IPWatchdog LIVE is crucial if you want to stay updated on how to protect your intellectual property (IP). Yesterday, I arrived just in time to see Gene Quinn and Renee C. Quinn present the Paul Michel Award to Joseph Allen, who leads The Bayh-Dole Coalition. If you don’t know about Bayh-Dole, it’s a key piece of legislation that allows universities, small businesses, and non-profits to own inventions made through federally-funded research. This allows them to license those inventions for further research and broader public use.
Joseph has been a dedicated advocate for Bayh-Dole and IP rights in general, so it was fantastic to see him recognized. Congratulations, Joseph.
Also, I attended a session titled, “Will China Replace The EU and The US As The World’s IP Leader?” Since I’m considering filing patent applications in China, I was very interested in learning more about how to protect my Intellectual Property there. It turned out to be extremely helpful.
The biggest surprise for me: China is starting to respect intellectual property. That’s something I wasn’t expecting.
Here are my key takeaways:
- Intellectual property is becoming extremely important to China.
- However, don’t be fooled by the number of patents alone. Quality matters more than quantity when it comes to innovation.
This session gave me a lot to think about as I plan my next steps for IP protection.
Day 2:
One of the things I love about this industry is that there’s always something new to learn. Whether it’s trade secrets, filing in different countries, or learning about litigation funding, it’s always fascinating.
Here are some key takeaways from the second day.
Panel #2: Harmonizing Global IP Strategy With Short-Term and Long-Term Business Goals
This panel was eye-opening. Filing intellectual property internationally can be tricky, and a few key takeaways stood out to me:
- When filing IP in other countries, it’s crucial to explain why to your foreign partners. Their insights could be extremely valuable.
- Keep an eye on where your competition is heading and strategize around that.
- As Cynthia (Deal) Mitchell, an IP attorney, said, “IP is the poker chip in order to play globally.”
Panel #3: Trade Secrets: A Balancing Act of Protection and Pitfalls
Though I don’t usually deal with trade secrets, this was a very insightful discussion. Trade secrets can be valuable, but:
- You must manage your trade secrets correctly for them to hold value, especially if you need to prove a violation. I recommend checking out James Pooley’s work on this subject.
- If your technology is going to be valuable for a long time, consider keeping it as a trade secret instead of patenting it.
- If you’re working with a limited budget for intellectual property, trade secrets are a smart option since maintaining patents can get expensive.
Panel #4: Patent Strategies for an International Patent Portfolio
Since I’ve been filing patent applications outside the United States, this session was especially useful. With my rotating label technology, Spinformation, we applied for patents internationally. Looking back, I wish I had thought through these considerations before spending the time, effort, and money on filing abroad.
Here are my main takeaways for deciding if and where to file patents internationally:
- Before filing internationally, think about how long your invention will stay relevant. Is technology likely to change soon?
- Get an estimate of the total cost for patent filings. Make sure it fits your budget.
- Evaluate the market potential in each country you’re considering filing in. Is there a real need for your product there?
- Will you be able to protect your ownership in that country? If not, it’s worth reconsidering filing there. In some places, protecting intellectual property is still quite challenging.
Day 3:
Empowering SMEs and Leveraging IP
On Day 3 of IPWatchdog, Inc LIVE, Joseph E. (Joe) Walsh, Jr., a principal at Harness IP, shared a valuable tip during his panel on “Empowering SME Growth by Leveraging IP.” He mentioned that you can ask the USPTO to send you all the intellectual property issued to your competitors regularly—and it’s free. This insight is incredibly helpful.
Joe’s panel also highlighted how important intellectual property is for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). These companies, which make up the backbone of the economy, rely on IP to grow and scale.
Another key point from the panel was the significance of design patents, especially in litigation. If a company infringes on your design patent, you could be “awarded” the profits the infringing company made from your design, in addition to any damages.
They also discussed the current state of infringement litigation insurance, something every inventor should be aware of.
Techniques and Strategies for Successfully Resolving Patent Disputes
“AI tools can be just as effective as a prior art searcher.” — Clint Mehall, patent attorney
Clint shared this insight during his panel on “Techniques and Strategies for Successfully Resolving Patent Disputes” on the third day.
It was fascinating to hear these patent attorneys talk about the challenges they face when working with inventors and patent examiners. One key point discussed was how the inventors’ own prior art searches can sometimes create delays in the process.
A major takeaway for me was that invention disclosure forms might need some improvements. Many attorneys mentioned they had a hard time getting the necessary details from inventors to write effective patent applications.
I was particularly curious about how we can enhance communication and the invention disclosure forms. After researching a bit, I found that some of these forms do not even include questions about manufacturing, which seems a bit unusual.
Final Thoughts
Thank you, Gene Quinn and Renee C. Quinn, for having me back at your amazing event. IPWatchdog LIVE 2024 was an incredible experience, filled with insights and valuable information for inventors. It was great to be surrounded by so many passionate people in the intellectual property world. I learned so much about the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in IP.
A huge congratulations to Gene Quinn on being recognized with a lifetime achievement award from his law school, the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law. This honor is so well-deserved. Gene’s leadership has made IPWatchdog the #1 resource for everything related to intellectual property.
