"Will $Billions in Patent Lawsuits Kill Smartphone and Tablet Innovation?"
Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm. Program begins promptly at 12:00 pm, check-in starts at 11:30 am. (Box lunch will be served)
Location: Rayburn House Office Building - Room 2226
Audio: Download (.MP3)
Panelists- Marvin Ammori - Principal, Ammori Group and Steering Committee, Engine Advocacy [Bio] (@ammori)
- Jorge Contreras - Associate Professor of Law - Washington College of Law, American University [Bio] (@contreraslegals)
- Eric Hinkes - Legal Policy Fellow, Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee [Bio] (Moderator) (@EricMHinkes)
- Adam Mossoff - Professor of Law - George Mason University School of Law [Bio]
- Rob Pegoraro - USA Today/Discovery News [Bio] (@robpegoraro)
You have seen the headlines: Patent litigation continues to roil the exploding smartphone and tablet marketplace with consumers literally caught in the crossfire. Recent high profile smartphone court cases have consumers and policymakers deeply troubled that courts will strangle the incredible pace of mobile innovation and competition. Recent litigation between leading smartphone manufacturers has also caught the attention of Congressional members. The number of smartphone patent lawsuits in multiple countries and jurisdictions around the globe is dizzying and could threaten to keep the best new mobile phones off the market. How will the public be affected by these lawsuits as new mobile devices continue to rollout? Will a competitor force your favorite mobile device off the market?
A diverse set of panelists tackled important questions including: 1) Can mobile device companies simply innovate around these intellectual property disputes?; 2) Are these constant lawsuits just the natural byproduct of rapid innovation?; 3) Must Congress step in with legislation? The panel also debated the impact of the recently passed America Invents Act on the smartphone litigation inferno and shared their thoughts on what patent issues lie on the horizon in the competitive mobile device space.
At the 2012 State of the Net Conference in January, the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee facilitated a dynamic discussion on this emerging issue between stakeholders by hosting a focused panel discussion ("Patent Warfare: Will Your Next Smartphone Get Caught in The Crossfire?") on the then-recently enacted America Invents Act, which sought to reform the nation's patent laws for the first time in nearly 60 years. Since this panel was convened, the potential effect on innovation has only become more critical, as companies continue spending billions of dollars to acquire massive portfolios of patents through mergers and acquisitions.
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.