A couple of upcoming conferences

1.  Georgetown Law and the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology are putting on their Eighth Annual Patent Law and Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. on December 1 and 2, 2016.  Speakers on Day 1 will include Federal Circuit Chief Judge Prost and USPTO Director Michelle Lee.  Day 2 will feature two sessions on patent damages, with speakers yet to be announced.  From the email flyer I received about the event:

The Eighth Annual Patent Law and Policy Conference
Hosted by Berkeley Center for Law & Technology
and Georgetown Law and the Institute for Technology and Law Policy

Thursday, December 1

8:30 – 9:00 am	Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:10 am	Welcome
9:10 – 9:40 am	Opening Keynote Judge Sharon Prost, Chief Judge, United Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
9:45 – 11:15 am	Panel 1: Developments in Case Management This panel will discuss how the courts, Congress, the Patent Office, and the FTC are seeking to improve patent litigation through changes in pleading standards, treatment of demand letters, discovery, claim construction, expert witnesses, and fee shifting, among other issues.
11:15 – 11:30 am	Coffee Break
11:30 am – 12:45 pm	Panel 2: Inter Partes Review The panel will reflect on lessons learned after four years of PTAB, focus on several hot topics impacting IPRs today, and look to the future of PTAB practice and developing trends.
1:00 – 2:15 pm	Lunch Keynote The Honorable Michelle K. Lee, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
2:30 – 3:45 pm	Panel 3: Case Law Year in Review The panel will discuss highlights from the past year, including decisions from the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit.
4:00 – 5:00 pm	Networking Reception McDonough Faculty Lounge

Friday, December 2

8:30 – 9:00 am	Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:10 am	Welcoming Remarks
9:10 – 9:25 am	RPX Presentation Emily Hostage, Director of Corporate Development and Policy Counsel, RPX
9:25 – 10:40 am	Panel 1: Patent Damages Point/Counterpoint What works well and what needs improvement in the area of damages law is often a matter of perspective. This panel will discuss hot topics in damages law—such as FRAND, comparable licenses, apportionment, ongoing royalties, enhanced damages post-Halo—as viewed through the different lenses of plaintiffs/defendants, operating companies/non-practicing entities, and various technical industries.
10:45 am – Noon	Panel 2: Patent Damages Roundtable The determination of patent damages remains one of the most contentious topics in patent law and policy, particularly as regards the calculation of a reasonable royalty. The controversy over the determination of a reasonable royalty has taken on greater importance as courts have tightened the standards for injunctive relief. This panel will explore the current state of patent damages law, the role of expert witnesses, economic methodologies, and case management options.
Register now online.

2.    On November 24, 2016 there will be a conference at the German Patent Office in Munich titled Patentverwertungsgesellschaften--Witschaftliche Risiken für den Mittelstand und Verteidigungsstrategien ("Patent.Assertion Entities--Business Risks for Small Business and Defense Strategies").  Information available here (in German).  Hat tip to Professor Toshiko Takenaka for bringing this to my attention.