The basis for the trustful uptake of standardised technology is transparency. Transparency on many levels: in the context of the declaration of potentially essential patented technology in SDOs, in terms of patent quality and in relation to licensing terms and conditions.

This webinar serves to take stock of the situation and present some new ideas to improve the situation. 

Agenda (all times in CET)

• 15.00 - Welcome speech by Maive Rute (Deputy Director General, DG GROW)
• 15.15 - Keynote presentation by Ruud Peters (Peters IP Consultancy BV)
• 15.30 - Is there sufficient transparency in SDOs? Moderated by Elena Kostadinova (DG GROW)
  • ETSI’s database contains more and more SEPs, is the data clear and updated enough? Should other SDOs follow a similar path? Round table with Rudi Bekkers (TU Eindhoven), Tim Pohlmann (IPLytics), Ericsson (Patrick Hofkens) and Steve Faraji (Audi, chair of the ETSI IPR SC)
• 16.10 - How to increase patent quality? Moderated by Anne von Zukowski DG GROW)
  • A considerable share of SEPs turn out in litigation not to be valid. Is this an issue that should be addressed in a more structured way? How can essentiality checks be most helpful? Round table discussion with Sebastiano Toffaletti (European Digital SME Alliance), Justus Baron (Northwestern University), Michael Fröhlich (EPO), Nikolaus Thumm (TU Berlin), Isabella Fu (Microsoft) and Fabian Gonell (Qualcomm)
• 17.00 - Transparency regarding licensing terms and disputes, moderated by Adriana Van Rooden (DG GROW)
  • Licensing deals are usually confidential. But how can one avoid discrimination in that case? Should they be more transparent in order to allow for a better level playing field? Currently, SEPs are litigated in different courts, sometimes with different outcomes. Is there enough public information on this jurisprudence to allow implementers better anticipate their exposure? Roundtable discussion with Kent Baker (U-Blox), Matthias Schneider (Audi), Kerry Miller (Nokia), Konstantinos Karachalios (IEEE) and Axel Walz (Munich Court I)
• 17.45 - Closing remarks by Amaryllis Verhoeven (Head of Unit F3: Intellectual Property at DG GROW)

Practical info and registration

The webinar begins at 15.00 (CET). It will be run via Teams Live Events. It is open to anyone who registers in the Teams SEPs Group of the Commission.

Registration for this event is now closed.

Relevant documents

To prepare for the event, you may find the following documents useful.

• Making the most of the EU’s innovative potential – An intellectual property action plan to support the EU’s recovery and resilience, November 2020
• Pilot study for essentiality assessments of Standard Essential Patents
• Landscape study of potentially essential patents disclosed to ETSI
• Full contribution of the Group of Experts on Licensing and Valuation of Standard Essential Patents

Background

According to the 2020 IP Action Plan, the amount of SEPs and the number of SEP owners is increasing. SEPs play a crucial role in the development of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT). Digital integration of objects, devices, sensors, and everyday items, with applications ranging from connected cars, health, energy to smart cities requires interoperable solutions based on standards. Therefore, building on the 2017 approach, the Commission will consider reforms to further clarify and improve the framework governing the declaration, licensing and enforcement of SEPs.

Other webinars in the series

2 December 2020 - Presentation of the results of the pilot project for essentiality assessments of Standard Essential Patents

23 March 2021, 14.30 (CET) - FRAND licensing & valuation: Which are the key principles and how to render them more operational?

20 April 2021, 14.30 (CET) - Patent pools: How to make patent pools work for both SEP holders and licensees?

4 May 2021, 14.30 (CET) - Enforcement of Standard Essential Patents - current bottlenecks and possible solutions

(Please note, timings may change). 

More information

Please contact: GROW-IP-CONFERENCES@ec.europa.eu