Economic espionage and the misappropriation of trade secrets continue to be significant challenges for U.S. companies doing business abroad. Join the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) at its latest biennial trade secret symposium, featuring an information-packed series of online sessions that delve into the details of trending cross-border issues affecting the protection of trade secrets.
This free program is a two-day event that takes place May 11, 1-4 p.m. ET and May 12, 8-10 a.m. ET. The program brings together experienced practitioners from government, industry, and academia to lead panels on:
- Balance and tension between patents and trade secrets as forms of intellectual property (IP) protection
- Current risks associated with overseas talent recruitment programs and cyber theft risk mitigation strategies
- Cross-border issues and coordination of civil enforcement with criminal prosecutions
- Views from the USPTO’s IP attachés posted overseas
Whether you are a rights holder, an investigator, an enforcement official, or a business interested in protecting your valuable trade secrets when doing business overseas, you do not want to miss this program.
Agenda
Agenda subject to change
Day 1: May 11
1–1:10 p.m. Opening remarks
Speakers:
- Mary Critharis, Chief Policy Officer and Director of International Affairs, USPTO
- The Honorable Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Judiciary
1:10–2 p.m. Panel 1—Patents or trade secrets: Balance and tension
Moderator:
- Soma Saha, USPTO
Panelists:
- Kirby Lee, Assistant Chief IP Counsel, Ecolab
- Frederic M. Meeker, Attorney, Banner Witcoff
- James Pooley, Attorney and Author
2–2:50 p.m. Panel 2—Current risks: Overseas talent recruitment programs and cyberthefts
Moderators:
- Timothy Browning, USPTO
- Michael Diehl, USPTO
Panelists:
- Jeff Stoff, Founder, Redcliff Enterprise
- Brian Hinman, Chief Innovation Officer, Aon IP Solutions
- Eugenia Lostri, Associate Fellow, Strategic Technologies Program, Center for Strategic & International Studies
- John Bailar, Intelligence Analyst, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Priscilla Yeon-Vogelheim, Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, Federal Bureau of Investigation
2:50–3:40 p.m. Panel 3—Risk mitigation strategies
Moderator:
- David Foley, USPTO
Panelists:
- Eric Proudfoot, Supervisory Special Agent, Economic Crimes Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Matthew Turpin, Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institute, China’s Global Sharp Power Project
- Anna Puglisi, Director of Biotechnology Programs and Senior Fellow, Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology
- Bill Hannas, Lead Analyst, Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology
3:40–4 p.m. Q&A for Panels 2 and 3
Moderator:
- David Foley, USPTO
Day 2: May 12
8–8:05 a.m. Opening remarks
8:05–8:50 a.m. Panel 4—U.S. overseas insight
Moderator:
- Jennifer Blank, USPTO
Panelists:
- Duncan Willson, USPTO IP Attaché, Embassy Beijing
- Nathan Brooks, International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Embassy Bucharest
- John Cabeca, USPTO IP Attaché, Embassy Delhi
8:50–10 a.m. Panel 5—Coordination of civil enforcement with criminal prosecutions
Moderator:
- Jennifer Blank, USPTO
Panelists:
- Anand B. Patel, Senior Counsel, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, U.S. Department of Justice–Criminal Division
- Timothy O’Shea, Acting U.S. Attorney, Western District of Wisconsin
- Andrew Dawson, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California
- Katherine Wawrzyniak, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California
- David Tressler, Deputy General Counsel, Waymo
10 a.m. Closing remarks
Additional information
This virtual program is hosted by the USPTO’s Global Intellectual Property Academy, a unit of the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA). OPIA 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.
Visit the registration page for more information or contact Hollis Robinson at OPIA with questions or requests for accommodation.