Events

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Room E10

Moderation: Professor Dr. Hanns Ullrich 

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich, Room 313

How important is information disclosure through patents for subsequent innovation? To answer this question, we examine the expansion of the USPTO Patent Library system after 1975. Before the Internet, patent libraries gave inventors access to patent documents. We find that after patent library opening, local patenting increases by 17% relative to control regions. Additional analyses suggest that the disclosure of technical information is the mechanism underlying this effect: inventors start to cite more distant prior art and the effect ceases after the introduction of the Internet. Our analyses thus provide evidence that disclosure plays an important role in cumulative innovation.

Contact Person: Michael E. Rose, Ph.D.

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Marstallplatz 1, Munich, Room E10

Heli Pihlajamaa ist verantwortlich für die Unterstützung der Ziele des EPA durch die Entwicklung, Stärkung und Förderung des EPÜ und der Praxis des EPA einschließlich der Ausarbeitung von Vorschlägen zu Gesetzes- und Richtlinienänderungen sowie die Einhaltung von patentrechtlichen Normen und der Rechtsprechung. Sie berät darüber hinaus das höhere Management des EPA bei patentrechtlichen Fragen. In Ihrem Vortrag wird sie erläutern warum das Patentrecht weder wegen der Künstlichen Intelligenz noch wegen der Biotechnologie in der Krise ist.

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich, Room 313

Contact Person: Michael E. Rose, Ph.D.

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Marstallplatz 1, Munich, Room E10

Abstract
This lecture will cover the growing capabilities and economic impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its implications for IP policy and law. Moreover, it will explain how the USPTO helps the U.S. to continue leading when it comes to innovation, especially in the emerging technologies of the future, including AI and machine learning.

Speaker Bio
In his role as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Andrei Iancu provides leadership and oversight to one of the largest intellectual property offices in the world. He also serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Commerce on domestic and international intellectual property policy matters.
Prior to joining the USPTO, Mr. Iancu was the Managing Partner at Irell & Manella LLP, where his practice focused on intellectual property litigation. Mr. Iancu has also taught patent law at the UCLA School of Law and has written and spoken publicly on a variety of intellectual property issues. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Iancu was an engineer at Hughes Aircraft Company.
Mr. Iancu holds a Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law. He also has a Master of Science in mechanical engineering and a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering, both from UCLA. His full bio can be found at https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/executive-biographies/andrei-iancu

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Marstallplatz 1, Munich, Room 101

Moderation: Laura Valtere

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich, Room 313

Contact person: Michael Rose, Ph.D.

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich, Room 313

In most organizations, promotions often requires self-nomination and entry into competition. However, research on gender differences in self-promotion and preference for competition suggests that this “opt-in” process might result in fewer women choosing to compete. We study whether changing promotion schemes from a default where applicants must opt in (i.e., self-nominate) to a default where applicants must opt out (i.e., those who pass a qualification threshold are automatically considered for promotion, but can choose not to be considered) will attenuate gender differences. In our first experiment, although women are less likely than men to choose competitive environments under the traditional opt-in framing, there is no gender difference when the choice to compete is described using opt-out framing. The increase in participation of women into competition is not associated with negative consequences for performance or well-being. Further, in our second experiment we show that opt-out framing does not entail penalties from evaluators making decisions about whom to hire. These results suggest that organizations could make use of “opt-out” promotion schemes as a behavioral intervention to reduce the gender gap in promotion rates and ascension to leadership positions. More generally, our study provides additional support to the promise of choice architecture to reduce disparities in organizations.

Contact person: Dr. Marina Chugunova

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich, Room 313

We study decision making by graduate students and entrepreneurship program participants in a variety of individual and group settings. Nascent and current entrepreneurs differ from non-entrepreneurs along several dimensions. Nascent entrepreneurs are more trustworthy than non-entrepreneurs and current entrepreneurs, and are also more likely to be overconfident. While current and nascent entrepreneurs are no more likely to choose competitive pay schemes than others, they react to competition by performing better. Current and nascent entrepreneurs are less cooperative, more patient, and more honest than non-entrepreneurs. Nascent entrepreneurs are surprisingly different than current entrepreneurs, including being far more likely to be women.

Contact Person: Dr. Marina Chugunova

Abstract

This lecture will cover many of the topics most pressing in the world of Life Sciences transactions and disputes today, drawing on experience with German, European, Chinese as well as US legal developments. The intent of the lecture is to provide a practical look at the issues practitioners need to understand to provide advice in transactions, disputes and other decision-making for Life Sciences companies. The presenters will address, in particular: (1) current trends in co-development, co-promotion, regional and joint venture deals; (2) Intellectual Property developments, including second medical use issues and new developments in antibody patent protection in Europe and the US; (3) biosimilar trends and developments. The presenters will discuss general issues which interface with data privacy and GDPR, but will not separately focus on data privacy or data breach issues in this lecture.

Speaker Bios

Sarah Columbia (Partner, McDermott Will & Emery, Boston) is a US lawyer who focuses her practice on intellectual property disputes, including some of the most significant Life Sciences cases of the past 5 years. She has extensive experience representing clients in the courts in the US and coordinating disputes that reach into Europe and Asia. 

Dr. Rüdiger Herrmann (Partner, McDermott Will & Emery, Frankfurt) is a German qualified lawyer who focuses his practice on key transactions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. He has a wealth of experience advising national and international clients on mergers and acquisitions, licensing agreements, collaboration agreements, strategic alliances, initial public offerings, and private equity/venture capital transactions. He has a particularly strong background in dealing with life science matters in Europe, the US, China and Taiwan.