San Francisco, 17 July 2024 – More than 650 senior industry leaders convened at the historic Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco last month for three days of networking, deal-making, and discussions on strategic intellectual property (IP) value creation.
Among those attending the sixteenth IPBC Global were speakers from renowned innovative companies from the Bay Area – including tech giants Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and Airbnb – alongside industry leaders from IP-driven companies including IBM, Microsoft, Ericsson, Huawei and Mercedes-Benz.
The event commenced with two masterclasses centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion and the evolving landscape of IP leadership. An impressive lineup of women leaders from Microsoft, Equifax, HP, Western Digital, and more, shared their insights on how to build sustainable momentum for long-term DEI excellence.
Day two was marked by a major highlight of the conference: a keynote interview with USPTO director Kathi Vidal, conducted by IAM’s Managing Editor Trevor Little. Vidal shared her views on what makes a patent valuable and shared her perspective on international standard essential patent (SEP) policy. She also reflected on the United States’ role as a leader in global IP policy. Coverage of the discussion is available on the IAM website.
SEP policy was firmly in the spotlight during the day’s discussions, with Nokia Technologies President Jenni Lukander – a 2024 IP Hall of Fame inductee – criticising the European Commission’s proposed SEP regulation in an on-stage interview. Lukander extensively discussed Europe’s draft SEP regulation and cautioned delegates about the potential consequences of disrupting SEP licensing without evidence of market failure.
The final day of IPBC Global commenced with a keynote address delivered by Ran Xu, Xiaomi’s General Manager of Corporate Business Development and IP Strategy. In his address, he expanded on the positive power of IP and implored delegates to put the consumer at the centre of licensing strategies, explaining: “We are starting to think about how to make smartphones more affordable and information more accessible to price-sensitive consumers in the underdeveloped world because it can change their lives and make the whole world a better place.”
This year’s IPBC Global conference fostered vibrant discussions, groundbreaking ideas, and invaluable networking opportunities that will undoubtedly impact the future of the IP industry. For a detailed summary of the main highlights, please refer to the links below.
IPBC Global 2024 – Day 1
IPBC Global 2024 – Day 2
Kathi Vidal keynote interview
IPBC Global 2024 – Day 3
Mark your calendars for next year’s event, as we look forward to bringing together even more thought leaders and industry pioneers in June 2025 at the Boston Park Plaza. The next IAM Flagship event, IPBC Asia 2024, will be returning 19-21 November 2024 at the Palace Hotel, Tokyo.
