Intellectual Property Rights in Frontier Industries: Software and Biotech
Friday, April 30, 2004
10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.
Wohlsletter Conference Center, Twelfth Floor, AEI
1150 17th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036

The appropriate dimensions of protection for intellectual property rights in general, and patents in particular, have been matters of controversy since the 16th century. Software and biotechnology, both relatively new areas to come under the patent umbrella, have brought the debate to a fevered pitch in recent years. The Joint Center has invited leading scholars to illuminate the issues for these two industries, which are so closely identified with innovation in high technology.

10:00 a.m.     Registration

10:15 a.m.      Introduction
                     Welcome:     Robert Hahn, Executive Director, AEI-
                                       Brookings Joint Center
                    
                      Panel 1:     Biotechnology and Intellectual Property Rights
                      Presenters:  Iain Cockburn, Boston University
                                       Arti Rai, Duke University
                      Discussant:  Wes Cohen, Duke University                    
                   
12:00 a.m.        Luncheon

                      Panel 2:      Software and Intellectual Property Rights
                      Moderator:   Scott Wallsten, AEI-Brookings Joint Center
                      Presenters:  David Mowery, University of California, Berkeley
                                       Dan Burk, University of Minnesota
                      Discussant:  Starling David Hunter, MIT

2:00 p.m.         Adjournment

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