Upstate South Carolina business owners doing business in China may find their valuable intellectual property (IP) is being infringed upon in that country. Even businesses not operating in China may find counterfeit versions of their products for sale in China or the United States. At this free, one-day program, experts from the U.S. government, IP attorneys, and local business people will share insights on how U.S. rights holders can protect their IP in China and the United States. Topics will include:
- What you need to know about protecting your patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights in China (particularly for small- and medium-sized businesses)
- Where is China going on IP?
- Enforcing IP rights in the United States and in China
- U.S. government resources for U.S. companies
- IP in China: The Upstate South Carolina experience
This program is one of a series of China IP Road Shows that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office conducts across the country. For more information, visit the China IP Road Show homepage.
Agenda
Agenda - subject to change
8:30 – 9:00 Registration
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome remarks
- Julie Eddy, Chief of Staff to the President, Greenville Technical College
- Shannon Christenbury, Director, Greenville U.S. Export Assistance Center
- Elizabeth Dougherty, Eastern Regional Outreach Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
9:15 – 9:35 Keynote address
- Dale Davis, Chief IP Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, Cummins Inc.
9:35 – 9:45 Where is China going on intellectual property?
- Conrad Wong, Attorney-Advisor, USPTO
9:45 – 10:55 Panel 1: Securing intellectual property rights in China
Panelists to address challenges in and strategies for securing rights in patents, trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets in China
Moderator:
- Michael Diehl, Senior Attorney, USPTO
Speakers:
- Amy Hsiao, Chair of Asia Trademark and Anti-Counterfeiting Practice, Adsero IP
- Thomas T. Moga, Member, Dykema
- Jerry Xia, Partner, GEN Law Firm
10:55 – 11:05 Break
11:05 – 12:15 Panel 2: IP enforcement in China, including in e-commerce
Panel to address administrative, civil, and criminal avenues and strategies for IP rights enforcement in China as to patents, trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets
Moderator:
- Conrad Wong, Attorney-Advisor, USPTO
Speakers:
- Amy Hsiao, Chair of Asia Trademark and Anti-Counterfeiting Practice, Adsero IP
- Thomas T. Moga, Member, Dykema
- Jerry Xia, Partner, GEN Law Firm
12:15 – 1:15 Networking lunch
1:15 – 1:30 U.S. government and other resources to help U.S. businesses
- Conrad Wong, Attorney-Advisor, USPTO
- Shannon Christenbury, Director, Greenville U.S. Export Assistance Center
- Michelle Abraham, State Director, South Carolina Small Business Development Centers [invited]
- Elizabeth Rowland, Director, Subnational Initiatives, US-China Business Council
1:30 – 2:45 Panel 3: Civil and criminal IP rights enforcement in the United States
Panel to address civil and criminal IP rights enforcement primarily as to patents, trademarks and trade secrets in the United States with an emphasis on infringement by China-based actor
Moderator:
- Conrad Wong, Attorney-Advisor, USPTO
Speakers:
- Amy Hsiao, Chair of Asia Trademark and Anti-Counterfeiting Practice, Adsero IP
- Beau Jackson, Partner, Husch Blackwell
- Kevin Barney, Special Agent, Homeland Security Investigations
- DeWayne Pearson, Deputy Chief White Collar and General Crimes, U.S. Department of Justice
2:45 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 4:15 Panel 4: IP protection and China: The Upstate South Carolina experience
Panel to address China-origin IP challenges for Upstate South Carolina businesses
Moderator:
- Douglas Kim, Member, Kim, Lahey & Killough Law Firm, Greenville, SC
Speakers:
- Elizabeth Rowland, Director, Subnational Initiatives, US-China Business Council
- Andy Forsythe, Brand Protection and Dealer Parts Loyalty Nissan USA
- Evan Slavitt, Global Chief Legal Officer, Paper Excellence Group
- Jonathan Szucs, President, Advanced Superabrasives
4:15 Closing Remarks
- Elizabeth Dougherty, Eastern Regional Outreach Director, USPTO
Additional information
For more information, visit the registration page or contact Nadine Herbert in the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs.
This program is hosted by the USPTO’s Global Intellectual Property Academy, a unit of the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA). The office advises the Administration and other federal government departments and agencies on domestic and international IP legal and policy issues. It also provides technical assistance and training on IP-related matters to U.S. stakeholders and both U.S. and foreign government officials.
Accessibility accommodation
If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please submit your request to the contact information listed above.