Jim Pooley Becomes Latest IPWatchdog Masters Hall of Famer During AI Program

IPWatchdog’s Artificial Intelligence Masters™ wrapped up today with panels exploring how to get AI patents past Sections 101 and 112 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and, ultimately, granted, as well as Ethics and AI. But yesterday’s day-long program also included an award for the latest IPWatchdog Masters™ Hall of Famer, James Pooley, who IPWatchdog CEO and founder Gene Quinn called “the leading expert on trade secrets in the world.”

In his explanation of the origins of the IPWatchdog Masters™ Hall of Fame in 2022, Quinn said he wanted an IP Hall of Fame that included only “real IP professionals; people who mean something to me, people I want you to hear from, and people who have really impacted the IP community. People who not only contribute to the field, but who also help set the debate—real thought leaders and industry icons who take the time to participate.”

“There’s nobody I can think of as more deserving of a spot in the hall of fame as my friend Jim Pooley,” Quinn said as he presented the award yesterday. “You’re one of a kind and we cherish your friendship; welcome to our hall of fame.”

Pooley is a monthly contributor to IPWatchdog and the eighth inductee into the Hall of Fame. He is author of the treatise, “Trade Secrets,” which is updated semi-annually and is the leading lawyer’s desk reference on trade secrets. He has served as president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), as chairman of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and as Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva from December 2009 to November 2014, where he was responsible for the international patent system.

Pooley, who participated on a panel titled “The Role of Trade Secret Protection for AI Related Data, Technology & Innovation*  at the AI Masters program, expressed his appreciation for the honor, telling Quinn, “You, Gene, are in my personal hall of fame,” and thanking him for his “friendship and professional journalism” throughout the years.

The other Masters Hall of Fame inductees include: the Honorable Paul Michel, Retired Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC); Sherry Knowles of Knowles Intellectual Property Strategies; Phil Johnson, Chair of the Steering Committee for the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform and retired Senior Vice President, Intellectual Property Policy & Strategy of Johnson & Johnson’s Law Department; Bob Stoll, former USPTO Commissioner for Patents and currently Partner and Co-Chair of the IP Group at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath; the late Q. Todd Dickinson, who served as USPTO Director from 1999 to 2001 and who was inducted posthumously last year; Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman; and the Honorable Randall R. Rader, Retired CAFC Chief Judge.

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