International IP Summit
ABOUT THE SUMMIT
Please join Boston College Law School and Ropes & Gray at the premier forum for practitioners, business leaders, academics, and government officials to explore the dramatically evolving global IP environment.
The 2024 International IP Summit will take place October 24-25, 2024, on the Boston College Law School campus.
OCTOBER 24: Day One Keynote and Panels
Check-in will begin at 11:30 am, with lunch and the keynote address at noon. This event is free and open to the public.
11:30AM–12:00 PM : Networking and Registration (with lunch)
12:00–1:00 PM: Welcome Remarks & Keynote Address (with lunch)
1:10–2:10 PM: Panel 1: UPC and Global Enforcement Strategy
Panelists:
- Matt Shapiro (Ropes & Gray)
- Charles Larsen (MWE)
- Chris de Mauny (Bird & Bird LLP, Barrister & Foreign Legal Consultant)
- Moderated by Ed Kelly (retired partner, Ropes & Gray)
The UPC changes how companies consider global enforcement of patent rights. The UPC seems to facilitate parallel litigations at the UPC and the US Courts. This can increase complexity of already complex disputes. For example, issues of trade secret enforcement, often part of a patent dispute, have to be evaluated carefully before bringing an action at the UPC, as the UPC offers less discovery about protected technical information, and applies different standards of privilege and confidentiality.
2:15–3:15 PM: Panel 2: Leaky Models, IP Ownership, and Other Considerations for AI Dealmaking and Licensing
Panelists:
- Georgina Jones Suzuki (Ropes & Gray)
- Benjamin Brown (Onto Innovation, AGC – Chief IP Counsel)
- Kati Pajak Strzelczyk (Counsel - AI, Innovation & Trust, Commercial & Procurement, Open Table / Kayak)
- Moderated by David Olson (BC Law professor, former director of PIE)
This panel will cover recent AI deal trends and key considerations for acquiring AI companies or AI-related technology, including licensing considerations with respect to AI models and data. The panel will also discuss important developments regarding IP ownership as well as pending litigation related to AI. The discussion will be relevant to private equity (PE) sponsors, strategic acquirers, and technology and life sciences companies looking to leverage AI to boost existing or developing lines of business.
3:15–3:45 PM: Networking Break
3:45–4:45 PM: Panel 3: Bridging the Atlantic: Global AI Regulation in the UK, EU, US and China
Panelists:
- Hiba Hafiz (BC Law professor; advisor to FTC)
- Ed Machin (Ropes & Gray partner, London)
- Duncan Willson (USPTO IP Attaché at the US Embassy in Beijing, 2018-2023)
- Moderated by Kevin Powers (Director, BC Law’s MLS in Cybersecurity Program)
Regulations and guidelines are appearing globally that guide and limit the way organizations can deploy and market AI systems and AI-powered tools. The White House has published an AI Bill of Rights, the UK and EU have each set out the AI Act, and China has announced Interim Administrative Measures for Generative AI. These policy statements and proposed regulations address concerns of safety, fairness and competition and seek to protect health, reduce algorithmic discrimination, regulate automated biometric surveillance and reduce unfair business practices. Other actors, including the US FTC and all major patent offices have taken up issues of AI as it relates to their respective areas, including fair business practices and what constitutes an inventor and a copyrightable work.
4:50–5:50 PM: Panel 4: China Strategies for Life Sciences Companies, Research Universities and Institutes, and Academic Medical Centers
Panelists:
- Nicholas Caezza (Butterfly)
- David Peloquin (Ropes & Gray)
- Dan Zheng (Takeda)
- Moderated by David McIntosh (Ropes & Gray)
Bipartisan legislation, including the proposed BIOSECURE Act and the recently-enacted Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act, as well as President Biden’s Executive Order on Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data by Countries of Concern, could limit the ability of U.S. pharma companies, universities, research institutes and academic medical centers to contract with biotechnology companies with ties to “foreign adversaries,” including the Chinese government, or to engage in research that involves the sharing of sensitive personal data or biospecimens of U.S. individuals with entities located in “countries of concern,” such as the People’s Republic of China.
Our panelists will discuss the latest updates on recent legislation and rulemaking targeting China-based organizations. The conversation will also cover the global implications of these policies, specifically for life sciences companies, research institutes and academic medical centers that use CROs and CMOs located in China or engage in research collaborations involving China.
5:50–5:55 PM: Closing Remarks
6:00–7:00 PM: Networking & Cocktail Reception
OCTOBER 25: Day Two Roundtable Session
This Roundtable Session will feature an interactive discussion among participants focused on how recent laws, regulations, economic changes, and technological advancements have impacted deal making. Participants will be coming from a range of backgrounds and experiences. During the session, participants will have an opportunity to share their views on current market trends, emerging areas of risk and opportunity, and best practices. All participants are asked to attend the entire session. Topics to be discussed will include:
- Deal Trends in Life Sciences and AI (Private Equity, Venture Investing, etc.)
- The proposed BIOSECURE Act and its potential effects on the life sciences industry.
- The EU AI Act and other enacted and proposed laws regulating the development and use of AI.
- The CrowdStrike outage and cybersecurity and IT lessons learned.
- The Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Chevron and how businesses and regulatory agencies are responding.
For more information, please contact lawevent@bc.edu.
Speaker bios will be available soon. Please note that the October 25 roundtable is by application/invitation only. Please indicate your interest when registering for the Summit.
