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IPI-ConfEx Programme 
Programme Schedule
© Copyright IPI Organization 2015
Programme subject to change at any time.
International Patent Information Conference & Exposition
Next Conference To Be Announced
IPI-ConfEx: Best Practices in Patent Information Management and Searching
Below is an overview of the conference schedule. (Timings are subject to change) Sunday 28 February 13:45 - 18:00 Educational Vendor Workshops 18:00 - 19:30 Welcome Reception & Exposition Monday 29 February 09:00 - 17:00 Conference Sessions & Exposition 18:00 - 21:00 Conference Gala Dinner & Networking Event Tuesday 1 March 09:00 - 17:10 Conference Sessions & Exposition Wednesday 2 March 09:00 - 14:45  Conference Sessions & Exposition
Below is a detailed day-by-day outline of the conference programme to date. Scroll down the page or use the following buttons to quickly navigate the programme day-by-day.
IPI MasterClass: Utility Models for the Patent Searcher – Blood, Toil, Tiers, and Sweat? Part 1 Stephen Adams - Managing Director, Magister Ltd. Many patent searchers are only dimly aware of the use of so-called “second tier protection” (STP), the patent-like systems in place in a wide range of countries, particularly if their native jurisdiction has no such system in place.  However, the presence and potential impact of utility models has been brought to recent prominence by the rapid expansion of the Chinese system.  In our attempts to comply with the legal requirements for universal novelty, a good working knowledge of utility models is becoming an important addition to the searcher’s skill-set.  For decades, data producers and searchers alike tended to regard these documents as a nuisance, cluttering up the state of the art with large numbers of trivial disclosures.  However, this MasterClass will attempt to redress the balance, by showing the extent of STP systems worldwide, their presence (or absence) in search files, the strength of the IP rights associated with them, and some indications of their geographic and strategic use by small and large applicants alike. 
Global Dossier (Tool) – The One-Stop-Shop for Patent Information of the 5 Biggest Patent Offices, IP5 Monika Hanelt – PDG; Manager Patent Information, Agfa Graphics The Global Dossier (GD) is an initiative of the 5 biggest patent offices (IP5 = EPO, JAPIO, KIPO, SIPO, USPTO) to gain efficiency for patent offices but also to work together to benefit users of the patenting system globally. The Global Dossier tool is an excellent resource for tracking information about patent applications filed within the five biggest patent offices. The presentation will shortly show the Global Dossier and its scope, look at the patent information available via the Global Dossier tool for European users now and the planned future developments as legal status data, alerting and standardisation of patent assignee names. 
The EPO as the Global Gateway to Prior Art Searches and Legal Certainty – With Review of the Examiners Set of Tools John Bambridge - Principal Director DG1 Automation, European Patent Office EPO examiners receive cutting-edge tools in delivering their world renowned, high quality search reports.  These tools provide efficient access to the largest collection of technical documentation of any patent office leveraging the world-wide consensus the EPO has built on using the Cooperative Patent Classification scheme to access it.  Coverage, review and citations from Asian documentation is world-class. With “Early Certainty from Search”, prior art searches together with a written opinion on patentability are now treated with the highest priority and delivered within 6 months.  By quickly bringing legal certainty on the invention’s potential together with the EPO’s fast-track route to a final decision, called PCT Direct, the EPO’s position as the world’s best gateway to global protection is maintained.
STN Product Update - Increased Efficiency in Patent Search and Evaluation Elke Mueller - Head STN Sales Industry & IP With recent enhancements new STN delivers the first ever unified Markush solution, offering CAS MARPAT® and Thomson Reuter's Derwent Markush Resource (DWPIM) on a single platform. ReaxysFileTM completes the unique portfolio of chemical databases that allows the simultaneous search using one structure query. Thus search and evaluation of both specific and generic structures are performed in a highly efficient and time-saving manner. With the addition of databases, e.g. from the engineering field as well as corresponding thesauri, STN broadens the scope of content on new STN beyond chemistry and facilitates searches in multiple disciplines. PatentPak™ is a new patent workflow solution available in classic STN to support the identification of the relevant chemical substances in patent full-text information.
Establishing Invalidity: The Inspector Javert Approach to Killing Patents – with Case Studies and Examples Clay Matthews – Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, NewMarket Corporation In an age where more and more interest is being directed to semantic search functions, force-directed text clustering algorithms, and other visualization tools, there is no substitute for an experienced, meticulous, and dogged subject matter expert with access to a comprehensive full-text database with Boolean search capability.  This presentation will provide real-world examples that uncovered prior art to invalidate patents directed to Specialty Chemicals.  Emphasis will be placed on establishing patent invalidity using references that can only qualify against the inventive step or obviousness of a patent.  Additional discussion will include best practices for expanding the available prior art to address the EPO’s dogmatic approach to inventive step, i.e. the dreaded – problem-solution-approach.
How Corporate Social Media can Promote Patent Information Services Torsten Gerber – Director Search, Documentation, Information Processing, Robert Bosch GmbH Today it becomes more and more popular to use social media tools for communication and networking. In this talk I will discuss the use of a social media platform in a corporate environment for marketing patent information services. Since the introduction of our Community “Patent Information@ Bosch” the visibility of the patent information group has been enhanced. Communication with associates worldwide to network and interact with our clients has been increased and we also attract potential new clients. Blogs and Wikis are used to inform about IP topics in general and patent information and searching in specific.
European Patent Register – The Impact of the Unitary Patent and Other Developments Yolanda Sanchez Garcia – European Patent Register Business Application Manager, European Patent Office As the launch of the unitary patent draws closer, this talk will take a look at the impact that it may have for patent information users. It is already clear that the “Unitary patent register” will be part of the European Patent Register, but what information will it contain, what will it look like, and how will the updates happen? Will there be a flow of information from the Unified Patent Court into the register? And how will the databases show when a unitary patent request has taken effect? Looking to matters other than the unitary patent, the European Patent Register has already seen developments in recent years, including the Federated Register, bringing together data on the post-grant phase of European patents from across Europe. The other major news in this area is the launch of the Global Dossier, which is already saving patent information users time and money by bringing them easy access to the complete patent files in the five biggest IP offices worldwide.
The Future of the Patent Information Profession – Possible Threats, Opportunities and Areas for Development Bettina de Jong - Global Head Patent Analysis, Shell International B.V. Although you often don’t see it when it is happening around you, looking back the patent information area has gone through quite some developments in the recent past. Let’s look at some trends and expectations. This presentation will discuss a number of factors that are likely to have an impact on our profession in the next 10 years or so, not only technological but also for instance changes in our client base. These may be threats or opportunities, partly depending on how you deal with them yourself. This presentation is intended to make you think about your own future and help you identify possible areas for development in order to be prepared.
Prior Art in European Oppositions - With Review of Several Recent European Opposition Cases Fanny Coignard - Manager, Patent Searching & Information, Pfizer The success of European oppositions relies heavily on the quality of the prior art cited by the opponents. Retrieving prior art within the patent literature is now easily possible with the different databases that are available to the patent information professional. The challenge comes from non-patent literature that might disclose useful information in scientific articles or in other types of publications. We reviewed several recent European opposition cases, and analyzed the type of prior art that was decisive for the decision of the EPO Opposition Divisions.
The Challenge of Finding the Patent Number Protecting a Pharmaceutical Product and Estimating its Market Exclusivity Paula Juckes - Senior Patent Information Specialist, UCB Understanding patent protection is a fundamental aspect of competitor intelligence.  If a product is protected by a patent the owners of that patent can prevent others from copying that invention for a limited period of time in specific geographical locations.  Thus it is important for industries developing new goods to be aware of what patents their competitors own and understand when these products lose their exclusivity in the market.  However finding the specific patent number that protects a drug and its expiry data can present its challenges.  I will present strategies I use for finding this information in the pharmaceutical industry in the absence of a purpose built database.
Recent Developments in Online Search Services of the DPMA (German Patent and Trade Mark Office) – Covering Patent Publications and Legal Status Databases Harald Seitz – Head of Customer Care and Services, DPMA In recent years, the DPMA introduced major developments in its key services DEPATISnet (https://depatisnet.dpma.de) for state of the art searches and DPMAregister (https://register.dpma.de) with the legal and procedural status databases for IP rights which take effect in Germany. In the lecture important new features of DEPATISnet and DPMAregister and their relevance for patent information professionals will be presented. Different access options and cross-linking of available information will be shown. Additionally Dr. Seitz will also elaborate on the data stock available at DEPATISnet and on main improvements in data quality of bibliographic data.
Using the EPO’s PATSTAT Database Just Got Easier! Christian Soltmann – Coordinator Busines Use of Patent Information, European Patent Office The EPO now offers an online interface to PATSTAT, its best-selling database. PATSTAT has been specifically designed for analysing patent data from a statistical perspective. The new online interface allows you to use PATSTAT without any of the hard work involved in uploading the data into your own systems or of taking care of the regular updates. This development opens up PATSTAT to regular patent information specialists, and provides them with an exciting new tool for performing in-depth trend analyses and other statistical studies in patent data.
The Growing Importance and Enforceability of Patents in China – A Review of the Chinese Patent Legal System and the Process of Challenging the Validity of a Patent Erick Robinson - Chief Patent Counsel Asia Pacific, Rouse & Co. International LLP After decades of nonexistence and ineffectiveness, the Chinese patent system has become comparable to or similar systems in the US and Europe.   In 2014,, China created specialized IP courts in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. While monetary damages remain low compared to US proceedings, this is changing. Further, injunctions are virtually guaranteed, time to trial is very short, there is scant discovery, and wins rates are above 75%.   Further, what little is not sold in China is made there, so by blocking exports a patented can effectively stop worldwide sales through a single Chinese case. Because of the enforcement mechanism and the huge business market, China should be considered a vital component of patent enforcement. 
Update on the Certification of Patent Information Professionals Bettina de Jong - Global Head Patent Analysis, Shell International B.V. Work on the certification of patent information professionals is continuing. The draft Articles and Rules have been shared with the community for feedback and when these are finalised, the certification organisation can be formally established. We are not there yet, but the examination and certification is coming within reach. We will look back on what has been achieved so far and present the next steps to the realisation of certification.
PatBase Enhancements & New Minesoft Products Rahman Hyatt – Director, Minesoft Discover what’s new in PatBase, the global patent database, from enhanced search functionality to improved full text review. Get an insight into Chemical Explorer, the new database from Minesoft providing chemical structure searching for full text patents.
What’s New in VantagePoint Nils Newman – President, Search Technology This product presentation will provide an overview of new features in VantagePoint.  Included in recent advancements are new visualizations and analytical techniques.
IPI KnowledgeExchange™ Discussion Session Interactive discussion, encompassing information within small to medium sized companies as well as large organisations. Topics to be discussed include:     A.    Semantic Searching and Analysis – Where are we now and where are we going?     B.    Data Availability and Searchability e.g. how to work with Asian, Arabic and other language documents     C.    The Future of Quality – Experiences and practical solutions     D.    The Future of the Information Professional – Personal development, QPIP, external factors, etc.     E.    IP5 Activities and the Global Dossier – How is it working and what will the future bring     F.    CPC versus Other Classifications - Hints and tips on which, when and how to use     G.    Alerts – Tips, Tricks and Pitfalls     H.    Big Data – How to manage     I.    Patent Portfolio Evaluation Tools and Processes – Best practices and experiences     J.    Managing and Promoting Your Information Department – Sharing experiences and successes     K.    Specialised Searching – Best practices for validity searching, freedom-to-operate searching and legal status information     L.    Patent Landscaping and Analysis – Tips, tricks and practical solutions
Search Quality Improvement by (Personal) Coaching - How to be an Expert? Gerard Ypma -  Senior Patent Searcher, ASML Most patent search departments are struggling with search quality and continued professional development of their searchers. How to organize this, as searchers don’t like to be looked over the shoulder. This is a practical way to approach this. Applying coaching principles and let people drive their own quality through stimulation of self-learning (coaching). This might work for search teams but also for individual searchers.
IP Operations: Critical to Large-Scale Portfolio Development - The Google Perspective Nigel Hsu – Head of Patent Operations, Verily Life Sciences (formerly Google Life Sciences) LLC Google’s unprecedented rise into one of the biggest players in the patent space is no secret. Since 2010, Google has developed a patent portfolio that numbered in the low hundreds into one of the largest portfolios in the world. But how did Google achieve this in such short order? What operational measures did Google implement to facilitate the rapid, large-scale portfolio building? And how will operations allow Google to sustain a portfolio of this magnitude? We will hear real-world operational solutions implemented by the Google patent team to address various pain points involved in large-scale portfolio development. Solutions include metrics-based behavior modification, patent quality monitoring, statistics- informed prosecution, budget management, and machine learning.
MONDAY 29 Feb click here WEDNESDAY 2 March click here TUESDAY 1 March click here
09:00 - 09:15
Educational Vendor Workshops and Official Conference Welcome Reception. To view the full Sunday programme click here
09:15 - 09:45
What Legal Status Data Should be Exchanged by Patent Offices Worldwide – WIPO’s Initiative and Progress of the Task Force (LSTF) Young-Woo Yun – Senior Industrial Property Information Officer, WIPO At its third session, held in 2013, the Committee on WIPO Standards (CWS) agreed to create Task No.47 in order to prepare a proposal to establish a new WIPO standard for the exchange of patent legal status data by IPOs. In order to carry out the task, the CWS created the Legal Status Task Force (LSTF).  The LSTF agreed on the objective that the new standard should provide recommendations to promote efficient exchange of patent legal status data by IPOs in order to facilitate access to that data by IP information users, IPOs, IP data providers, the general public and other interested parties.  The LSTF is currently working on the topic “what legal status data should be exchanged”. WIPO would like to share with IP information users the progress of the LSTF and to listen to their opinions.
09:45 - 10:15
10:15 - 10:55
10:55 - 11:30
Panel Session: Global Dossier, Unitary Patent and Legal Status Interactive panel session with participation and questions from the conference delegates encouraged.
11:30 - 11:40
11:40 - 11:55
11:55 - 12:25
12:25 - 13:45
13:45 - 14:00
Patent Portfolio Building Jan Witt – Global Business & Strategy Development Manager, ProQuest How Proquest can help with building your patent portfolio, knowing what the competition does and how they perform; beyond FTO.
14:00 - 14:10
14:10 - 14:40
14:40 - 15:10
15:20 - 15:55
15:55 - 16:05
BIG Patent DATA with PatentInspiration; New opportunities for predictive analysis, tech transfer innovation and AI Simon Dewulf – CEO, AULIVE In contrary to most BIG DATA sources, BIG patent DATA research can benefit from the data’s structure being indexed, referenced, cited, with a problem statement in description, with solution in claims and a summery in title and abstract, the total being boxed in about 250 000 classes. PatentInspiration brings unique novel visualizations from an angle of innovation research and problem solving techniques. A vital finding in the research approach is the context independency of property-function pairs. Properties are connected to functions (resp. like transparent -inspect, porous-absorb, magnetic-hold or protruded-grip) across a variety of domains. The beauty is in language, often property-functions are adjective-verbs; they form a new base for innovation prediction, tech transfer and AI or artificial creativity.
16:05 - 16:11
Introduction to Ambercite – A New Search and Analytics Approach That Can Help You Find Better Patents Faster Doris Spielthenner, CEO Ambercite Looking for new ways to find patents that can make a real difference to your clients and employers? Are you time poor? Do you have long lists of cases you need to work through? Ambercite is an innovative patent search and analytics engine that uses visual guidance and big data analytics based on citation opinions from millions of examiners and applicants to identify similar, important and unexpected patents. We will share with you how you can get an objective second opinion on any search strategy or result set, in a matter of seconds. Thereby uncovering patents you might have otherwise missed. And why it is a fast and easy search solution even in areas that are hard to search for. 
16:20 - 16:50
IPI-Award Announcement The recipient of the prestigious 2016 IPI-Award will be announced live.
16:50 - 17:00
18:00 - 21:00
Converse, Refresh & Vendor Demonstrations Take time to refuel and relax. Get the energy boost you'll need to make the most of the many opportunities that surround you! All refreshment breaks are located in the Exhibition Hall.
Conference Networking Lunch Enjoy the local cuisine in this buffet style lunch which offers the opportunity to meet new people or spend time with old friends.
Converse, Refresh & Vendor Demonstrations Take time to refuel and relax. Get the energy boost you'll need to make the most of the many opportunities that surround you! All refreshment breaks are located in the Exhibition Hall.
Conference Gala Dinner & Networking Event, featuring the IPI-Award Presentation All attendees are invited to be a part of this very special evening. The Gala Dinner offers an opportunity to enjoy the local cuisine and connect with peers on the first night of the conference.
09:00 - 09:30
09:30 - 10:00
10:00 - 10:15
What all GenomeQuest Sequence Search Users Should Know About LifeQuest Henk Heus - VP Product & Services, GQ Life Sciences Over the last decade we have succeeded in making GenomeQuest the industry standard for biological sequence searching in IP. We did this through the combination of specialized IP search algorithms and what has become the world’s largest IP sequence database through a combination of automation and manual curation of patents from global patent authorities. Not so long ago we launched LifeQuest, a new product that allows you to search the full text of all life sciences related applications and patents. We created it in close collaboration with our many existing customers, and we really listened to them. Here I will share the five most important things in LifeQuest that will make you more productive and allow you to do things that you couldn’t do before: browsing and searching full text, combining sequence and full text searches, updated USPTO PAIR information, monitoring and alerting, and search result annotation.
10:15 - 10:21
Landscaping: Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words?  How to Build the Capacity for the Product Offering In-House Lesley MacLachlan – Senior Information Scientist, GSK Landscaping activities are viewed either with enthusiasm by their advocates and recipients, or with suspicion by those who consider them time-consuming or simply hard to prioritise amongst other multiple calls on the time of an Information Professional.  In this presentation, I will describe my team's journey on the path of building a capability to offer landscaping as a product alongside more conventional offerings such as Freedom to Operate, Patentability, Validity/Infringement and other similar search products.  I will discuss how we scoped out this project, developed criteria for selection of suitable analytical tools, and how we are placing the product amongst our other offerings.  I will offer some tips and points for consideration for those who are considering walking along this path as well.
10:21 - 10:50
Converse, Refresh & Vendor Demonstrations Take time to refuel and relax. Get the energy boost you'll need to make the most of the many opportunities that surround you! All refreshment breaks are located in the Exhibition Hall.
10:50 - 11:05
Eliminating Frustration and Uncertainty from Your U.S. Patent Efforts -- A Simple Workflow Modification That Will Put You Back In Control Christopher Holt – Vice President of Patent Analytics in LexisNexis One needs only a minor understanding of patent office procedure to effectively manage a pending U.S. patent portfolio of any size.  The receipt of a first "Final Office Action" will be shown to be the absolute most important decision making moment in most every U.S. patent prosecution cycle.  A quick overview of the choices available to an applicant at this point in the process will be provided.  Then, a demonstration will show how a patent office analytics solution may be utilized to reveal the most optimal choice.  The potential for utilizing this strategy to significantly shorten the process of obtaining a patent will be made apparent.
11:05 - 11:20
New Ways of Analyzing My Patent Portfolio Felix Coxwell – Product Manager, Questel Analysis using forward citations, self-citations, recent citations, oppositions, and litigations, to identify potential infringers and buyers and refresh your view of your own portfolio.
11:20 - 11:50
11:50 - 12:20
12:20 - 13:30
Conference Networking Lunch Enjoy the local cuisine in this buffet style lunch which offers the opportunity to meet new people or spend time with old friends.
13:30 - 14:00
14:00 - 14:30
14:30 - 14:50
Effective Patent Landscaping Using PatBase and Chemical Explorer: A Case Study Rob Poolman – Senior Manager, Innovation and Consulting, Minesoft Aalt van de Kuilen – Patent Information Services Delivered from two different perspectives, we will discuss the challenges in patent landscaping and the features and functionality of PatBase and Chemical Explorer to enable the effective creation of reliable patent landscape studies. From developing a search strategy to visualizing results, we will use a case study to demonstrate a number of features and techniques including: • PatBase Analytics to build a search strategy and visualize results • TextMine to visualize and highlight terms disclosed within the full-text • Chemical Explorer to allow landscaping for a chemical structure of interest This presentation will demonstrate how any user can benefit from the innovative features in PatBase and Chemical Explorer to craft and visualize a meaningful patent landscape for any technical area.
Converse, Refresh & Vendor Demonstrations Take time to refuel and relax. Get the energy boost you'll need to make the most of the many opportunities that surround you! All refreshment breaks are located in the Exhibition Hall.
14:50 - 15:30
15:30 - 16:30
16:30 - 17:10
IPI KnowledgeExchange™ Report Backs Immediately following the interactive KnowledgeExchange session, a representative from within the group will give a 5-minute report back to the full conference group. The report back will summarise the discussion, highlight the key points, problems/questions that arose, lessons learned and conclusions.
09:00 - 09:30
09:30 - 09:40
Let’s Enjoy Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Tsutomu Kiriyama – Chair of PDG of INFOSTA and Guest Researcher of Japio Insights of Patent Information Map Analysis obtained from 10 years of experience in Japan are explained as ‘pseudo- experienced rules’.  Three strategies are explained.  Firstly, long-term vision for Continuing Professional Development.  Secondly, cherished Professional Development.  Lastly, three keys for Patent Information Map Analysis (PIMA) are shown.
09:40 - 10:10
10:10 - 10:20
Panel Session: Professional Development of Patent Information Professionals Interactive panel session with participation and questions from the conference delegates encouraged.
10:20 - 11:15
Extended Converse & Refresh and Vendor Demonstrations This extended session is designed to give delegates the opportunity to visit the exposition for live demonstrations and discussions with the providers of the latest products and tools on the market today.
11:15 - 11:21
11:21 - 12:10
12:10 - 13:15
13:15 - 14:05
14:05 - 14:35
14:35 - 14:45
Analysis of Corporate Strategy Based on Patent Information and Business News Izumi Tsuzuki – HIT Service Institue; St. Andrew’s University To know the direction of technological development and to plan corporate strategy, the analysis of patent information is important. However, the content of a patent application is inaccessible for 18 months following the application. Therefore, the business news available on the internet and in the newspapers is very important. We, a group of about 10 people, have selected Suntory (a famous Japanese company) as the target for a case study. Suntory produces many kinds of goods for consumers – most famously drinks, but also goods which are environmentally-friendly, and so on. I will report the results of our studies about what kind of information can be derived and how it can be used to develop corporate strategies.
Conference Networking Lunch Enjoy the local cuisine in this buffet style lunch which offers the opportunity to meet new people or spend time with old friends.
IPI MasterClass: Utility Models for the Patent Searcher – Blood, Toil, Tiers, and Sweat? Part 2 Stephen Adams - Managing Director, Magister Ltd. Many patent searchers are only dimly aware of the use of so-called “second tier protection” (STP), the patent-like systems in place in a wide range of countries, particularly if their native jurisdiction has no such system in place.  However, the presence and potential impact of utility models has been brought to recent prominence by the rapid expansion of the Chinese system.  In our attempts to comply with the legal requirements for universal novelty, a good working knowledge of utility models is becoming an important addition to the searcher’s skill-set.  For decades, data producers and searchers alike tended to regard these documents as a nuisance, cluttering up the state of the art with large numbers of trivial disclosures.  However, this MasterClass will attempt to redress the balance, by showing the extent of STP systems worldwide, their presence (or absence) in search files, the strength of the IP rights associated with them, and some indications of their geographic and strategic use by small and large applicants alike. 
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Closing Remarks IPI Organisation
Welcome Remarks Ford Khorsandian - IPI Organisation
Monday 29 February 2016
Sunday 28 February 2016
Tuesday 1 March 2016
Wednesday 2 March 2016
Educational Vendor Workshops and Official Conference Welcome Reception Delegates are provided with further professional development and learning opportunities via a series of educational workshops. Attendance at these workshops is free for all registered delegates. For the Sunday schedule and details regarding workshops click here
Sunday 28 February 2016
SUNDAY 28 Feb click here
15:10 - 15:20
New Features for Creating IP Reports with BizInt Smart Charts for Patents Diane Webb – President, BizInt Solutions Learn about new capabilities for creating and distributing IP reports with BizInt Smart Charts for Patents -- including improved claims set selection, a new summary record presentation, support for the new STN platform, enhanced family status reports, hit structure display, and more.
16:11 - 16:20
A Snapshot of the Latest Chinese Patent Statistics Trudi Jones - Vice President, TPR International, Inc. This presentation shares some of the latest patent statistics for China and makes a comparison with other countries.