This Week in Washington IP: Women Mentors in Innovation, Bolstering U.S. Supply Chain Resilience, and Identifying Essential Patents for 5G Technology

This week in Washington IP news, the Senate Judiciary Committee is considering several nominations, including for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is hosting a workshop about women’s mentorship in innovation and the best practices for women to overcome hurdles. Additionally, the USPTO is hosting staff from the National Medal of Technology and Innovation who will discuss the nomination process and the importance of the award.

Monday, March 13

Hudson Institute

Rethinking Supply Chains and Shipping to Reduce America’s Vulnerability to China

At 1:30 PM on Monday, Hudson Institute Headquarters and online livestream

On Monday, Former Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Peter DeFazio will have a conversation with Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Roberts about the United State’s vulnerability to supply chain bottlenecks and what can be done to secure supply chains. The United States has a relatively small footprint in the shipping industry and pandemic lockdowns and economic shocks caused problems for small and large businesses across the country. DeFazio will also discuss the United States’s reliance on China for supply chains and shipping.

Tuesday, March 14

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Operationalizing Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT)

At 8:15 AM on Tuesday, online webinar

On Tuesday, a group of experts will discuss data free flow with trust (DFFT), a concept first proposed at the World Economic Forum in 2019. DFFT is a concept that emphasizes the importance of governments and institutions ensuring trust-based data exchanges to produce benefits across borders. The concept is favored in Japan, which will host G7 meetings in 2023.

IPWatchdog

Prep, Prosecution & Profitability: Thoughtful Strategies for Managing to The Bottom Line

At 11:00 AM on Tuesday, online webinar

On Tuesday, this free webinar sponsored by UnitedLex will explore operational strategies designed to ensure IP investments are delivering to their maximum potential. Gene Quinn, President & CEO of IPWatchdog will host this interactive webinar with both in-house and law firm perspectives from Carlo Cotrone, Chief IP Counsel at Techtronic Industries North America (TTI), and Andrew Weaver, a Shareholder at Polsinelli PC. Representing UnitedLex will be Matthew Joyce, the Sales VP for IP Services and Solutions.

Wednesday, March 15

Hudson Institute

What Are the Patents that Power Your Connected Devices? Discussing Methods for Identifying Essential Patents

At noon on Wednesday, online webinar

On Wednesday, a Hudson Institute panel will discuss how essential patents for 5G and smartphone technology can best be identified. In a fast-growing sector, the panelists will debate whether governments need to do a better job of providing information about essential patents to this powerful technology. The speakers include Steve Akerley, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of InterDigital, Dr. Katie Atkinson, Chair and Dean of the School of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Liverpool, and Keith Mallinson, Founder of WiseHarbor.

United States Patent and Trademark Office

2023 Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium, part two: Finding mentors and opportunities

At 2:00 PM on Wednesday, online webinar

On Wednesday, the second part of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium will focus on how women innovators overcome challenges and mentorship. The panel will cover both how successful women innovators can give back and become mentors and where prospective women innovators can find mentors. A range of successful women in the innovation industry will be on panel discussions hosted by representatives from the USPTO and the Department of Commerce.

Brookings Institute

ChatGPT and the future of work

At 2:00 PM on Wednesday, online webinar

On Wednesday, Brookings will host a panel discussion on the implications that artificial intelligence chatbots have on the future of the economy and work. ChatGPT is the latest of these chatbots to receive widespread media attention and funding from venture capitalists, and many are expecting ChatGPT or similar services to either complement or replace sectors of workers. Brookings is hosting this event in collaboration with the AI, Analytics, and the Future of Work Initiative at Georgetown University.

Thursday, March 16

Senate Judiciary Committee

Executive Business Meeting – Judicial Nominations

At 10:00 AM on Thursday, Hart Senate Office Building, Room 216 and online livestream

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding an executive business meeting to consider the nomination of Michael Arthur Delaney to be a United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit and nine district judge nominations. The Biden Administration sent Delaney’s nomination to the Senate on January 31, and the former New Hampshire Attorney General was grilled by Republicans in previous nomination hearings for his 2014 defense of a private boarding school where a sexual assault took place.

United States Patent and Trademark Office

National Medal of Technology and Innovation webinar 2023

At 3:00 PM on Thursday, online webinar

On Thursday, the USPTO is hosting staff from the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) who will provide information about the award and the nomination process. The NMTI award is the country’s highest honor for technological achievement and is awarded by the President in a special ceremony. Nominations are open until May 26, 2023.