US-Russian Experts Forum, and Speaking Tour
November 6-9, 2006
Moscow
Russian Federation

IIPI Program Attorney, Kevin M. Reichelt presented a co-authored policy brief during the U.S.-Russian Experts Forum, a program sponsored by the United States Department of State and run by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX). The conference comprised of U.S. and Russian experts, took place in Moscow on 6 November 2007. Following a brief address from the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, William J. Burns, the delegates dispersed to smaller discussion sections where each policy brief was presented and debated.

Mr. Reichelt co-presented with Professor Vyacheslav Gavrilov, Dean of the International Law Department of the Far Eastern State University, a policy brief addressing intellectual property protection and enforcement in the Russian Federation. IP protection and enforcement has recently dominated trade negotiations between the U.S. and Russian governments especially as it relates to intellectual property enforcement and Russia's bid for WTO accession. The policy brief focuses specifically on the issue of battling counterfeiting and piracy in the Russian Federation.

Following the Moscow conference, Mr. Reichelt traveled to St. Petersburg where he delivered two lectures at St. Petersburg State University Faculty of Law including participating on a panel of legal experts during the U.S. - Russia Joint Conference on The Rule of Law. Following the conference, Mr. Reichelt addressed students and faculty as a guest lecturer on international intellectual property protection and enforcement.

The policy brief is available in both Russian and English:
Policy Brief - ENG [483KB]
Policy Brief - RUS [198KB]
 

Music Piracy Workshop
October 2-4, 2006
IIPI Headquarters
Washington DC

Pirated CDs and cassettes is a major problem in many developing countries.  While international artists must suffer lost sales, the pirated of music products is especially harmful to local artists struggling to make a living.   This "train the trainer" workshop focused on educating participants from Southern Africa on such things as identifying pirate CDs and the relevance of different policy options intended to combat the piracy of CDs and cassettes.  

Agenda and Workshop Materials
Press Release

U.S. - Russia Federation Workshop On The Border Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
Vladivostok, Russia
September 27-29, 2005

IIPI and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are organizing a workshop devoted to the enforcement of intellectual property rights in Russia through border enforcement. As a transit point for trade between China, Japan, Korea and Russia, Vladivostok is an ideal location for a program on this timely topic. Participants in the workshop will include Russian and U.S. customs agents, U.S. PTO officials, an IIPI program attorney, Russian judges, and industry representatives.

Agenda
Press Release

ASEAN Seminar on IPR Capacity-Building for SMEs
Bangkok, Thailand
June 29-30, 2005

IPRs are critical to the long-term economic growth of the ASEAN nations. In the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Intellectual Property Cooperation, the governments of ASEAN nations recognize the importance of the role of IP rights in trade and investment as well as IP cooperation among the ASEAN member countries. This seminar will provide ASEAN government officials with concrete examples of the benefits of IPR protection and best practices for using IPRs to promote the development of domestic industries.  Speakers include IP experts from ASEAN governments and IP-based companies in ASEAN nations. 

Agenda and Select Materials
Press Release

U.S. - Russia Federation Workshop On The Border Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
June 7-9, 2005

St. Petersburg, Russia

IIPI and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are jointly organizing a workshop devoted to the enforcement of intellectual property rights in Russia through border enforcement.  The workshop will feature sessions on the Russian Customs Code, the workings of the Russian Customs Office and methodologies for effective interaction between intellectual property owners and the Russian Customs Office on halting the spread of counterfeit goods.  Participants will include representatives of the U.S. government, U.S. and Russian Customs agents, and Russian judges.

The objective of the workshop is to foster effective use of the Russian Customs system by intellectual property owners in their struggle to stem the flow of counterfeit products in the region and create a dialogue between Russian and U.S. Customs agents.  In this regard, the sessions will feature informational exchanges between the Russian and U.S. Customs offices regarding strategies and best modes for detecting counterfeit goods, procedures for holding such goods, ex officio actions and maximizing resources in the fight against counterfeit products.   

Press Release

West Africa and Intellectual Property: Policy Priorities to Foster Economic Growth, Public Health and Culture
December 6-8, 2004
Sofitel Teranga Dakar
Dakar, Senegal

Many West African countries do not have strong intellectual property regimes and are having difficulty in enforcing intellectual property rights. Combating piracy and counterfeiting is a major problem for these countries. Not only does piracy and counterfeiting drastically reduce the economic potential of local intellectual property-based industries, but it also can have serious public health and safety impacts, when for instance pharmaceutical products are counterfeited. This conference will bring together policymakers, legal professionals and the public health community to discuss the rule of law in intellectual property, intellectual property public health and safety, technology commercialization and the use of intellectual property to promote culture based industries.

Agenda
Press Release

Jordan Intellectual Property Week - 2004
Amman, Jordan
August 23 - 25, 2004

Jordan Intellectual Property Week is an annual event that brings together international experts and a host of Jordanian business and government leaders to discuss a intellectual property business strategies and policies.  With the patronage of Jordan's King Abdullah, Jordan IP Week is the largest intellectual property event in Jordan.  Among the topics discussed at Jordan IP Week 2004 include, comparative patent claim scope for pharmaceutical products, effective adjudication of copyright and trademark cases, national innovation policy reform, negotiating franchising agreements, and patent search techniques.

Agenda, Biographies and Selected Presentations
Press Release
Jordan IP Week Website

Establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice: The Effect on Intellectual Property and International Trade
April 18-20, 2004
Sherbourne Conference Centre
St. Michael, Barbados

Over the past several decades, the nations of the Caribbean have been working towards better economic integration as a means to strengthen their position in the global economy. The chief avenue of integration, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy Treaty, calls for the establishment of a Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ); this institution, first proposed in 1970, has recently become a reality. The Caribbean Court of Justice is necessary for successfully increasing trade, foreign investment and regional economic integration.

The effective operation of the CCJ will be vital to Caribbean integration into a Single Market and Economy. Consistent interpretation and application of law and dispute settlement across the Community will greatly improve the business climate for investment and facilitate increased international trade. Among the areas of law that the CCJ will have jurisdiction over is intellectual property. The protection of intellectual property and the institutions necessary to protect Caribbean intellectual property outside of the region will assist regional development significantly.

IIPI will co-host a two-day symposium on the future of the CCJ, entitled "Establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice: The Effect on Intellectual Property and International Trade" to facilitate discussion about the jurisdictional authority of the Court over intellectual property disputes in the Caribbean. The discussion will bring together Justices, policymakers, Ministry of Justice officials from the Caribbean Community and members of the international development community.

Agenda, Speaker Biographies and Materials 
Press Release

Jordan Intellectual Property Week - 2003
Amman, Jordan
August 11 - 14, 2003

In its inaugural year, Jordan Intellectual Property Week provided over 300 participants several workshops on a wide range of intellectual property issues.  The event was organized by the Jordanian Intellectual Property Association (JIPA) and was kick-off by Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.  Among the topics discussed at Jordan IP Week 2003 include, IP Based Technology Strategies, Copyrights for Informational and Cultural Products, Technology Licensing Strategies at Universities, and Damages and Remedies in IP Cases.

Agenda and selected Biographies
Press Release
Jordan IP Week Website

At Last: A European Patent Court Which May Come True - The European Patent Litigation Agreement
by Stefan Luginbuehl
Washington, DC
January 2003

The European Patent Convention makes it possible for a patent to be filed and recognized in all countries that have signed onto the convention. Judges from signatory counties have also held meetings in order to remain abreast of issues in specific countries that could affect all of the members.

View Article (58 KB)

Intellectual Property Law, Policy and Administration Workshops
October 15-22, 2002
Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

These workshops come at a time when intellectual property issues in Vietnam are under increased attention because of the country’s recent bi-lateral and international obligations.  With some of the highest levels of copyright piracy in the world, Vietnam needs to urgently bring its intellectual property enforcement system up to international standards to conform with its BTA commitments and in advance of its accession to WTO.  The IIPI led events are designed to help raise awareness of intellectual property matters in Vietnam and provide the necessary tools for private sector, government and judicial leaders to build the necessary infrastructure to combat piracy and stimulate the growth of domestic, knowledge-based industries.

Oct 15-16 - Judicial Training Workshop - Ho Chi Minh City
     Agenda and Speaker Biographies
October 17-18 - Government Workshop - Ho Chi Minh City
     Agenda and Speaker Biographies
October 21-22 - Government Workshop - Hanoi
     Agenda and Speaker Biographies
Press Release

Conference on Specialized Intellectual Property Courts
September 12-13, 2002
George Washington University School of Law
Washington, DC

The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) called for all World Trade Organization (WTO) members to establish fair and equitable judicial procedures for the adjudication of intellectual property disputes based upon the substantive intellectual property law embodied in TRIPS. While many countries have long been under international pressure to strengthen their lax and ineffective enforcement of intellectual property laws, the urgency to do so was compounded by TRIPS, particularly when application of the TRIPS provisions to developing countries began in 2000. As a means to improve enforcement of intellectual property laws, a number of countries are considering the establishment of specialized intellectual property courts (or other special bodies) to hear intellectual property cases. This conference will bring together participants and speakers from around the world to critically evaluate the various specialized intellectual property courts models, and assess how they can be used to bring about transparent, effective and reliable adjudication of intellectual property disputes. Additionally, in preparation for this conference, IIPI Consultant Michael Ryan conducted an in-depth research study the state of intellectual property courts and tribunals and their role in ensuring the adequate enforcement of intellectual property rights for both national and international interests in countries around the world.

Agenda, Biographies and Materials
Conference Overview
Report: Judicial Capacity Regarding Intellectual Property - Enforcement and Dispute Settlement
Press Release

Intellectual Property Law and Policy Workshops
June 17-21, 2002
Manila, Philippines

IIPI organized a series of workshops to provide a comprehensive program of intellectual property education.  Each of the workshops were designed to serve the unique needs of a distinct group of professionals.   The Judicial Workshop was to designed specifically for local judges, and focused on several issues critical to adjudication of intellectual property disputes.  The Business and Technology Executive Workshop was designed for business leaders to better understand the relationship between intellectual property, technology development and business strategy.  The Government Workshop provided an intellectual property foundation for policymakers and pointed out the connection between economic growth and intellectual property.

June 17-19 - Judicial Workshop
     Agenda and Speaker Biographies
June 18-20 - Government Workshop
     Agenda and Speaker Biographies
June 19-21 - Government Workshop
     Agenda and Speaker Biographies
Press Release