Nebraska business owners doing business in or with China may find their valuable intellectual property (IP) being infringed upon. Even businesses not operating in China may find counterfeit versions of their products for sale in China or the United States, or their trademarks registered in China without their knowledge.
During this free, in-person event, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT April 19 in Omaha, Nebraska, experts from the U.S. government, IP attorneys, and local business people will share insights on how U.S. rights holders can protect and enforce their IP in China and the United States.
Topics will include:
- What you need to know about protecting your patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyright in China (particularly for small- and medium-sized businesses)
- IP developments in China: Challenges and opportunities in a shifting IP environment
- Enforcing IP rights, in both China and the United States, against infringement originating in China
- U.S. government resources for U.S. companies
- IP in China: The Nebraska experience
Continuing legal education (CLE) accreditation may be available to attendees of this program.
This program is one of a series of China IP Road Shows that the United States Patent and Trademark Office conducts across the country. It has been organized in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service–Omaha.
Please note that this is an in-person event. It will not be webcast nor recorded. For more information about the series, visit the China IP Road Show homepage.
Agenda
Agenda subject to change
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Registration
9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Welcome remarks
- Meredith Bond, Director, U.S. Export Assistance Center, U.S. Commercial Service, Omaha, Nebraska
- Molly Kocialski, Regional Director, Rocky Mountain Regional Office, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Denver, Colorado
- Elaine Wu, Principal Counsel and Director, Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA), USPTO, Alexandria, Virginia
9:15 – 9:30 a.m. IP developments in China: Challenges and opportunities in a shifting IP environment
- Elaine Wu
9:30 – 10:15 a.m. Topic 1: Securing IP rights in China
Moderator
- Conrad Wong, Attorney-Advisor, OPIA, USPTO, Alexandria, Virginia
Speakers
- Chen Dan, Partner, Fairsky Law Office, Beijing, China
- Thomas Moga, Member, Dykema, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Topic 2: Enforcing IP rights in China
Moderator
- Conrad Wong
Speakers
- Chen Dan
- Thomas Moga
- Paul Burnett, Assistant General Counsel, FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
11:30 – 11:50 a.m. Topic 3: U.S. export controls and their effects on U.S. rights holders
- Grant Leach, Partner, Husch Blackwell, Omaha, Nebraska
11:50 – 12:10 p.m. Topic 4: U.S. government and other resources to help U.S. businesses
- Conrad Wong
- Meredith Bond
- Elizabeth Rowland, Director, Subnational Initiatives, US-China Business Council, Washington, D.C.
12:10 – 1:10 p.m. Lunch
1:10 – 2:15 p.m. Topic 5: Enforcing IP rights in the United States
Moderator/Speaker
- Beau Jackson, Partner, Husch Blackwell, Kansas City, Missouri
Speakers
- P. Andrew Riley, Partner, Mei and Mark, Washington, D.C.
- Zachary Keegan, Attorney-Advisor, IP Enforcement Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Washington, D.C.
2:15 – 3:00 p.m. Topic 6: Protecting agricultural and seed IP and trade secrets
Moderator
- Elaine Wu
Speakers
- Barry Nelson, Research Scientist, Corteva Agriscience, Johnston, Iowa
- Byron Militello, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Des Moines, Iowa
3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Break
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. Topic 7: IP protection and China: The Nebraska experience
Moderator
- Grant Leach
Speakers
- Laura Gonnerman, Associate General Counsel, University of Nebraska System, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Kim Nguyen, Vice President, International Markets, International Nutrition, Inc., Omaha, Nebraska
- Elizabeth Rowland
4:15 – 4:30 p.m. Closing remarks
- Meredith Bond
- Molly Kocialski
- Elaine Wu
Additional information
This program is hosted by the USPTO’s Rocky Mountain Regional Office and the 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.
For more information, visit the registration page or contact Lakeshia Harley in the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs.
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.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
Attendees of this program are eligible for 6.0 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credits from the Iowa Judicial Branch, 6.5 hours of CLE credits from the Kansas Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Department, and 5.58 hours of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credits from the Nebraska Supreme Court Attorney Services Division.