USPTO to Host First-Ever Symposium on Trade Secrets

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is hosting its first Trade Secret Symposium on Thursday, January 8, 2015, at the USPTO building in Alexandria, Virginia. The fact that the USPTO, an office whose primary focus is patents and trademarks, is hosting such an event is noteworthy and indicates the increasing importance of trade secrets in the American economy.

Panelists at the symposium will include experts from academia, the legislative and executive branches, the judiciary, private practice, and industry. Panels at the symposium will cover a wide range of topics, including proposed responses to trade secrets theft in the U.S., challenges in estimating damages due to the loss of trade secrets, the intersection of patents and trade secrets, issues in trade secrets litigation, and trade secrets protection in foreign jurisdictions.

The free symposium will be held at the USPTO Madison Building, Madison Auditorium South, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia  22314.  The symposium will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Registration is available here, and attendees may also register at the door.  For more information about the symposium, see the Federal Register Notice.