April 26 is World IP Day - aimed at drawing attention to the importance of IP. See more information on the WIPO site here.

To coincide with World IP Day, The Licensing Executives Society International, Inc. (LESI) and the Center for Applied Innovation (CAI) today announced the Invent for Humanity™ Technology Transfer Exchange Fair, taking place concurrently with the LESI Global Technology Impact Forum (GTIF) onJanuary 24-25, 2012, in Geneva, Switzerland. Click on the Exchange Fair link for full details.

The Invent for Humanity Technology Transfer Exchange Fair creates the world’s first transparent marketplace for humanitarian technology transfer and intellectual property (IP) licensing.

Register for the annual conference of the Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) – “Licensing in the 21st Century - better, faster, smarter”. This year it is hosted by the regional society, LES Britain & Ireland, and will be held in London 5-8 June 2011. Web Site: www.lesi2011.org. Take advantage of early bird rates by registering NOW!

LESI is a global association of 32 national and regional societies with over 10,000 individual members interested in the transfer of technology and the licensing of intellectual property rights. The members include business-oriented lawyers and other professionals, consultants, corporate executives, academics, and governmental officials. The LESI annual conference usually attracts more than 500 attendees from around the world. Due to the popularity of the location, the attendance at the 2011 London conference is likely to be the highest ever. The conference will extend over three days with plenary sessions and workshops every day. There will be many opportunities for break-out meetings and networking events.

The London conference will focus on the development of intellectual property rights (IPR) – how they are currently changing, and how they might need to change in the future. There will be plenary sessions at which influential speakers from industry and international public bodies will address and invite debate on issues such as: IPR ethical dilemmas, IPR for future technology, changes in healthcare and environmental licensing, the commercial importance of sports branding, and the problems of adequately protecting high-end innovative products.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LES INTERNATIONAL

It is an honor to be elected president of LES International at such a critical time. Much is changing in our world and our Society. These changes present an opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the profession and to our members.

The place of intellectual property in global business is changing. Today technology is like water--as it rises in volume it flows freely in all directions and around all obstacles. The volume of technology is increasing exponentially. It is freely and cheaply communicated worldwide to an ever increasing population of educated and skilled people who are able to commercialize it. While financial constraints ebb and flow, the trend supports continuing worldwide competition in innovation. Intellectual property remains an incentive to this innovation but may no longer serve as a long-term obstacle to such competition.

We can guide and counsel businesses, policy-making organizations and governments as to responses to this changing environment. Traditional applications of intellectual property rights have been attacked as archaic obstacles to progress. As professionals in this field, we understand the dynamics of the technology market and the place of intellectual property, and we can shape the evolving perception of intellectual property. This will require more attention and effort by LES International and its Member Societies to identify and respond to policy initiatives that impact the value of intellectual property.

New business models have resulted from recognition of the changing technology market. Frequently labeled “open innovation,” these business models recognize that a company cannot control dissemination of technology nor employ all the smart people. Companies adopting open innovation models take advantage of the worldwide distribution of innovators by creating networks of independent developers to fill the new product pipeline. Intellectual property to these companies is a vehicle for obtaining the right to use the results of networked developments and an asset to be used not as a stick but as a carrot for collaborative networking and revenue generation.

LESI has a significant role to play in this new environment-- providing education to policy makers faced with challenges to the intellectual property system and setting standards for intellectual property transactions in open innovation networks. Of course, LESI will continue to perform its traditional roles of education and networking for professionals in the field, but the new environment requires us to adapt.

LESI, through the External Relations Committee, already is advising international organizations on intellectual property issues. The relationship with WIPO will aid that organization in developing policies regarding technology transfer, particularly to emerging economies. We are also actively participating in a program sponsored by the EPO, ICTSD and UNEP to study the impact of intellectual property on transfer of environmentally-beneficial technologies. We will also advise the World Economic Forum on its effort to create a Global Responsibility License by which IP owners can contribute technology to the poorest of countries.

In addition to the External Relations Committee activities, the European Committee continues to prepare and submit important comments on EU initiatives that may impact intellectual property transactions. The Trademark Committee is also participating in an EU study of the European Trademark system.

LESI can apply its professional experience to the challenging transactional environment in the open innovation business models. As more and more industries recognize the need, demand for education and guiding principles will increase. LESI and its Member Societies should be in the lead in this area. Similarly, as intellectual property becomes more a commodity and less a defensive weapon, the value of such a commodity must be determined. LESI is populated with experts who understand the various facets contributing to intellectual property value. It is appropriate for LESI to lead in developing principles and standards for such valuation.

I have two goals for LESI this year. First is to provide greater services to its Member Societies and their members. This will entail assisting Member Societies with their program and training needs and with their efforts to counsel and guide local policy makers on intellectual property issues.

The second goal is take the lead in guiding transnational policy makers on intellectual property transaction issues and in developing principles and standards for transactions in the open innovation business models.

To further these goals, I have asked each Committee of LESI to proactively aid Member Societies with their training and programming needs and to cooperate with Member Societies and other Committees in identifying and responding to opportunities to guide policy makers on intellectual property issues.

Since LESI represents various constituencies, I will form an ad hoc committee to identify and define core policy principles relating to technology transfer and intellectual property on which LES International can and should take positions. The goal of the ad hoc committee will be to provide a guide for the Board of Delegates, the Board of Directors and Committee chairs as to policies and positions on which LES International can and should take positions, to thereby facilitate timely responses to opportunities.

Standards for IP valuation and transactions need to be developed. Since the topics are not unique to any one industry, professional or regional Committee, I will form two additional ad hoc committees, one to address generally accepted contract provisions to make more efficient international IP transactions, and the other to identify issues, factors and methodologies used in giving value to IP portfolios or license deals.

The three ad hoc committees will assist LESI in guiding IP policy and transactions in this new, dynamic technology marketplace. Like all ad hoc committees, they will expire after a defined term. Anyone interested in contributing to these committees should let me know.

The two goals for the coming year are consistent with the purpose of LESI--to support Member Societies in education and networking for their members and to represent Member Societies and their members in all international fora.

Effectively achieving these goals will require the aid of all interested members, and I welcome all ideas and help. Thank you for the opportunity to lead this organization for this year. And thank you for your contribution of time to make LESI the “go to” organization in intellectual property transactions.

At the San Francisco meeting, delegates voted in favour (just! - it was a slim majority, dimpled chads and all) of adopting the tag line "Advancing the Business of Intellectual Property Globally". The comma was daringly dropped. The tag line will be used on LESI letter heading and the web site, beneath both the LES logo and the wording 'Licensing Executives Society International'. National and regional societies will be asked to use the tag line similarly.

At the forthcoming meeting in San Francisco, October 22-23, delegates will be asked to vote on the adoption of the following descriptor in their brand presentation - "Advancing the business of intellectual property, globally."

The annual international conference in Manila, Philippines in June 2009 was a very successful meeting. There was a good attendance, interesting presentations, and of course wonderful opportunities for networking. The Philippines society can be well satisfied with their organization of the conference. The opening welcome speech by the president of LESI can be followed by clicking the youtube link on the screen, or by following http://bit.ly/Iv5Vb.

The Annual International Meeting in Manila was a great success. Have a look here for the Post-Conference Bulletin.

We are now looking forward to the next Meetings of special International interest. There is the Annual USA/Canada meeting in San Francisco 18-21 October 2009, followed by the International Delegates Meeting 22-23 October. Then there will be the Annual Pan European Conference hosted by LES Hungary in 2010. The next Annual International Meeting is in South Africa 11-14 April 2010 preceded by the International Delegates Meeting 9-11 April. For further details follow the links on the images.