Panel 1: With the enactment of the America Invents Act and change from a first-to-invent to a first-to-file system, the United States has taken a significant step towards harmonizing its patent laws with the rest of the world's. In light of the importance of securing patents both within and outside the United States, Panel One will consider what effects, if any, this change and others will have on the increasingly globalized world of patent law.

Panel 2: Non-practicing entities are popular targets for intellectual property debate. While some view non-practicing entities as patent aggregators curbing the progress of science and useful arts, others consider non-practicing entities as an integral part of the patent system. Panel Two will explore the dynamics of the intellectual marketplace and the rise of non-practicing entities in both the domestic and international arenas. Specific topics include: why the ITC is a venue of choice for non-practicing entities; the cause and effect relationship between patent monetization and non-practicing entities; and the reasons for the absence or emergence of non-practicing entities in foreign countries.

Panel 3: In 2010, China received 1.2 million patent applications and approved 814,825 patents. In comparison, the USPTO received 520,277 patent applications and granted 244,341 patents in 2010. The growth trend in China is accelerating - in 2010 the filings were up 25% and patent grants went up a whopping 40%. With regard to enforcement, 4,422 patents were litigated in China in 2010, compared with 1,674 patent litigation cases in the U.S. There is no question that China is becoming a major player in IP creation and enforcement. The question is, how does this affect the rest of the world? What are the threats and opportunities posed by China’s growing IP regime? How should U.S.-based businesses and U. S. lawyers prepare themselves to address the rise of Chinese IP?

Panel 4: On the eve of Data Privacy Day, Panel Four will focus on electronic privacy in the international context. With the globalization and digitization of our world, the amount of information that we, perhaps unwittingly, share to the world through the Internet is astounding. This panel will explore, compare and contrast e-privacy regimes throughout the world. Has the law kept up with the bristling speed of technological progress to strike the right balance between protecting our privacy rights, encouraging business and ensuring justice?