Intellectual Property Owners Association

04/28/2026

Register now for IPO's 13th annual European Practice Conference (May 28) in Frankfurt, Germany! The conference includes sessions on AI tools for IP professionals; information sharing; update from recent EU IP files; claim construction; and doctrine of equivalents, waiver and estoppel. Hear from in-house and outside counsel as well as experts from the courts.

Register at www.ipo.org/euro26. Open to members and non-members.

Organized by: The IPO European Practice Committee
Hosted by: Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Sponsored by:
Bardehle Pagenberg
Carpmaels & Ransford
Fleuchaus & Gallo

04/08/2026

Join IPO on Thursday, May 28th in Frankfurt for a one-day conference organized by IPO's European Practice Committee. The 13th annual European Practice Committee conference includes sessions on AI tools for IP professionals; information sharing; update from recent EU IP files; claim construction; and doctrine of equivalents, waiver and estoppel. The conference includes presentations from in-house and outside counsel as well as experts from the courts.

Learn more or register now: www.ipo.org/euro26.
Registration is open to members and non-members.

03/06/2026

Register for IPO's IP Chat Channel for a webinar on "Recent Pharmaceutical, Chemical, and Biotech Case Law on Infringement Under the Doctrine of Equivalents." (March 12, 2-3pm ET)

The Doctrine of Equivalents is a judicially-created doctrine allowing a court to find infringement when an accused instrumentality is insubstantially different from the patented invention, or when the accused instrumentality and the patent invention perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same result. This presentation will explore recent case law on the doctrine of equivalents in the pharmaceutical, chemical and biotech fields. It will include discussions of topics including the continued viability of the Doctrine of Equivalents as a tool for proving patent infringement, judicial guidance on the successful application of the “insubstantial difference” and “function/way/result” tests and how limitations on the Doctrine of Equivalents can influence prosecution and litigation strategies. Panelists include Serena Farquharson-Torres (Bristol Myers Squibb Company), Justin Hasford (Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP), and Sarah Tully (Genentech).

Visit webinars.ipo.org to register or to view CLE credit information.

03/02/2026

Register to attend IPOwners Spring Summit™ on March 18-19 in Washington, DC and attend a session on “Employees, Contractors, Trade Secrets, and Derivations: Strategies for Avoiding Disputes,” organized by IPO’s U.S. Post-Grant Patent Office Practice and Trade Secrets committees. Most allegations of trade-secret misappropriation or derivation of invention stem from former employees, suppliers, and joint-venture partners. The departure of employees with access to confidential information, leading to suspected leaks or misuse, or performance disputes in technology licensing agreements frequently cause disputes. These risks can be minimized through clear contracting and education—before, during, and at the end of the parties’ relationship. Panelists will discuss best practices for preventing misappropriation, capturing inventions, and clarifying IP ownership. They will also cover what must be shown to prevail on a trade-secret, ownership, or derivation claim, as well as recent case-law developments. The panel includes Betsy Fenske (HP Inc.), David Roadcap (Amgen, Inc.), Rachael Rodman (Thompson Hine LLP), Jeff Totten (Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP), and Michael Oblon (Jones Day).

Visit www.ipo.org/spring2026 to register or view the full program.

02/24/2026

Join us for a webinar on Thursday, February 26 at 1pm ET on "AI, Inventorship & the Future of Patent Law: Practical Strategies for In-House and Outside Counsel." As AI tools rapidly transform innovation, patent law is struggling to keep pace. This panel brings together seasoned in-house and outside counsel to explore the thorny issues of AI-assisted inventions: inventorship, disclosure policies, prosecution strategy, and global patent eligibility. Hear directly from in-house leaders on how they’re navigating internal inventor policies and preparing for future regulatory shifts. Panelists include Brandon Clark (SLB), Shruti Costales (Shruti Law PLLC), Sean Kim (Microsoft Corp.), Edoardo Mirabella (Beckman Coulter Diagnostics), and Lisa Ulrich (IBM Corp.). To register, visit webinars.ipo.org.

02/23/2026

Register Now for the IPOwners Spring Summit™ in Washington, DC on March 18-19. The conference is designed for senior leaders with topics directly relevant to in-house attorneys while providing outside counsel information that will enhance relationship building and productivity with their corporate clients. A program complete with topics, speakers and descriptions is available online. IPO will apply for CLE credit hours (including 1 hour of ethics). Visit www.ipo.org/spring2026 for more information or to register.

02/19/2026

Join IPO's IP Chat Channel on February 19th (2-3pm ET) for a webinar on "Essentials and Pitfalls in Drafting IP Provisions in Commercial Agreements." Commercial agreements are equally as essential as patent litigation or patent prosecution when it comes to protecting a company’s IP. This webinar will cover key aspects for both disclosing and receiving parties to consider when drafting these types of agreements, including non-disclosure agreements, joint development agreements, supply or vendor agreements, service agreements, and manufacturing agreements. The webinar will also address IP ownership and indemnification in the context of commercial relationships. Panelists include Jennifer Carnahan (Dow Chemical Company), Leland Hansen (McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd.) and Will Tinker (Caterpillar Inc.).

Register at webinars.ipo.org
CLE Credit applied for in most states. Webinar is free to all IPO Members, and for a fee to non-members.

02/14/2026

❤️Happy Valentine's Day to all!❤️
All you need is love, and some IP.
Spring is right around the corner and we would LOVE for your to join us in Washington, DC for the IPOwners Spring Summit (March 18-19)!
Register now at www.ipo.org/spring2026

02/13/2026

Join IPO on March 18-19 in Washington, DC for the IPOwners Spring Summit™. Register now at www.ipo.org/spring2026.

The conference is designed for senior leaders with topics directly relevant to in-house attorneys while providing outside counsel information that will enhance relationship building and productivity with their corporate clients. Topics include: Damages and Injunctions, (Non?) Confidentiality of On-Sale Products, Strategies for Avoiding Disputes, Schedule A Litigation, Best Practices for Foreign Filing Requirements Around the World, Branding and Ownership in the Age of Generative AI, AI Meets the Fine Print, Difficult Decision-Making for Legal Leaders, and Intersection of AI and Intellectual Property Law.

Register or view the full program at www.ipo.org/spring2026.

01/26/2026

Join the IP Chat Channel™ on Tuesday (January 27) for a webinar on "2025 Case Law Review," which will examine the major IP developments of the past year. Our panel includes Paul Berghoff (MBHB (McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP), Wendy Larson (Pirkey Barber PLLC), and Joshua L. Simmons (Kirkland & Ellis).

In trademarks, the panel will address how the Supreme Court’s decision in Dewberry provides fresh guidance on litigation strategy as it relates to damages recovery, how the Yuga Labs decision out of the 9th Circuit grappled with the Lanham Act’s application to new technologies, including when fair use concerns may be implicated, and Schedule A case trends.

In copyrights, the panel will discuss the Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision on secondary liability in Cox v. Sony, as well as decisions from this year concerning AI training, fair use, and the copyrightability of AI-assisted works. The panel also will examine early-stage trade secret disclosure requirements, possession versus ownership of a trade secret, and the state-of-the law of trade secret damages.

Finally, important cases in the patent space will be discussed, such as EcoFactor v. Google and Google v. Sonos, along with developing trends in IPRs, written description, and Section 101 eligibility.

IP Chat Channel™ webinars are free for IPO members. CLE credit is offered in most states. Register at webinars.ipo.org.

09/12/2025