The fifth annual IP LeadershIP 2018 conference in Washington DC began with the broad recognition of the critical importance of 5G/IoT technologies in enabling the Fourth Industrial Revolution, followed by topics that explored IP and competition policies needed to ensure its success. The panels and the keynote addresses by Congressman Steve Stivers and DOJ Antitrust Division head Makan Delrahim covered recent developments related to: the impact of recent decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court on patent eligible subject matter and the patent invalidity process at the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board, on entrepreneurship and innovation; antitrust concerns with potential concerted action in the development of standards-development organization intellectual property rights policies; and the importance of providing due process rights and respecting international comity concerns in antitrust actions. A discussion across policy makers, scholars, and practitioners provided a framework and ideas for future analysis for informed policy making.
