Regulating Knowledge: Costs, Risks, and Models of Innovation (Brussels 9-10 November)

*FOR MORE INFO: http://en.eu.ffii.org/sections/bxl0411

*Originally presented as a mere acknowledgment and restatement of European Patent Office practice, the proposed EU Software Patent Directive has become a far-reaching debate over how software innovation should or should not be controlled and by whom. The two-day conference 'Regulating Knowledge: Costs, Risks, and Models of Innovation' takes up this debate, providing a forum for a discussion that ultimately concerns the nature and ownership of our knowledge infrastructure and lies at the heart of the promotion and advancement of a knowledge-based economy. This event is sponsored by MERIT, CEA-PME, the Greens in the European Parliament, FFII, and the Open Society Institute.

*Tue 09 Nov 2004, Park Hotel Brussels, Av. de L'Yser 21, 1040 Brussels, Room Cinquantenaire. *(to be announced)

*Wed 10 Nov 2004, European Parliament, Rue Wiertz, 1047 Brussels, Room ASP 1G3.*

*Panel 1 (0915-1045) The Lisbon agenda, the economics of innovation, and patents on knowledge-related processes*

Policy towards software patents is especially critical element of the Lisbon agenda because software is an important area of innovation. However, software also determines how information and knowledge is managed across all fields of innovation and indeed in all forms of business and commerce. This panel will examine what economists know about patents and innovation, as well as the special problems related to patents on software.

Speakers:

* Luc Soete, Director, MERIT, University of Maastricht * Jim Bessen, Boston University

*Panel 2 (1045-1200) Bottom up economics: defending SMEs and the public interest*

Despite conventional arguments that patents benefit small companies, SMEs have opposed software patents. This panel will examine the economic problems of dealing with patents from SME perspectives. It will look new developments in the U.S. that show how patent holding companies are able to take advantage of ICT

Speakers:

* Brian Kahin, University of Michigan, School of Information and School of Public Policy, formerly White House Office of Science and Technology Policy * CEA-PME * Rita Heimes, Director, University of Maine Technology Law Center * Wendy Seltzer, Electronic Frontier Foundation

*Panel 3 (1430-1600) New developments in patent practice: assessing the risks and cost of portfolio licensing and hold-ups*

The SCO litigation against IBM and the proliferation of software patent lawsuits has focused attention on the risks that patents pose to software developers and users, especially users of open source software. At the users, including small firms and nonprofit institutions and how public interest groups are addressing this challenge.

Speakers:

* Dan Ravicher, Public Patent Foundation * City of Munich* * Dan Egger, Open Source Risk Management * FFII

*Panel 4 (1600-1730 (1:30)) Informing and reforming patent policy*

There is widespread agreement that getting patent policy right is important to economic growth, yet there are no mechanisms in place for monitoring how the system is performing in practice. The controversies surrounding the software directive and the community patent suggest that existing institutions and political processes may be inadequate to the task of developing sound patent policy. This panel will examine options for making the European patent system more accountable in terms of economic outcomes.

Speakers:

* Dominique Guellec, Chief Economist, European Patent Office* * Bernt Hugenholtz, Director, Institute for Information Law, University of Amsterdam* * Susana Borras, University of Roskilde*

http://www.ffii.org/ http://www.merit.unimaas.nl http://www.soros.org/