Conference Announcement: IP & ENTREPRENEURSHIP SYMPOSIUM

                   IP & ENTREPRENEURSHIP SYMPOSIUM

                          March 7 & 8, 2008
                        UC Berkeley Law School

              Co-sponsored by the Berkeley Center for Law
                and Technology (BCLT) and the Berkeley
                    Technology Law Journal (BTLJ)

          http://www.law.berkeley.edu/bclt/entrepreneurship/


     BCLT's 12th Annual Symposium will explore the role of
     intellectual property - and patent law in particular - in
     promoting entrepreneurship and in providing incentives to
     entrepreneurs, bringing together speakers from a broad
     range of disciplines, including economics, law, business,
     and other fields. The panelists include distinguished
     professors, attorneys, entrepreneurs, and venture
     capitalists who have been actively involved in the
     information technology, biotechnology, pharmaceutical
     and green technology sectors.

     At the Symposium, BCLT will introduce its project on
     intellectual property and entrepreneurship, launched this
     year with the generous support of the Ewing Marion Kauffman
     Foundation. We will discuss the current state of knowledge
     about the field of intellectual property and
     entrepreneurship, as well as our plans for empirical and
     theoretical research.

     To that end, we will explore such questions as: whether,
     when, and why entrepreneurs obtain patents; the role that
     patent rights play in decisions to invest in start-ups; and
     how investors and entrepreneurs assess the scope and value
     of their own (and other firms') patent rights while
     deciding which business opportunities to pursue.
     Furthermore, we will explore the challenges that
     entrepreneurs face when licensing or enforcing patents,
     examining issues such as the effects of "patent trolls" on
     entrepreneurs and how patent thickets, standards, and the
     need to cross-license may present strong barriers to entry
     for entrepreneurs.

     We also plan to discuss the role patents play in an
     increasingly open and collaborative innovation environment,
     exploring the effects of patent rights on issues such as
     open source software, open standards, interoperability and
     employee mobility. Lastly, we will explore the timely
     question of whether entrepreneurs should care about patent
     reform initiatives.


     REGISTRATION/FURTHER INFORMATION:

     Registration discounts are available for BCLT Sponsors and
     Entrepreneurs. Details are here:

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/bclt/entrepreneurship/registration.html

     For questions, please contact:

     CONTACT:       David Grady
     Email:         MAILTO:dgrady@law.berkeley.edu

     or call:

     Tel:           510-642-3702

     10.5 units of MCLE credit will be available for attendees
     of the symposium.


     SYMPOSIUM WEBSITE:

     http://www.law.berkeley.edu/bclt/entrepreneurship/


     REGISTER NOW:

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/bclt/entrepreneurship/registration.html


     ABOUT BCLT:

     http://bclt.berkeley.edu


     ABOUT BTLJ:

     http://www.btlj.org/
Posted 2/29/08