Special Topic Series Hosted by TAP in SF

Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Downtown San Francisco Chinese Restaurant (SOMA area – exact location given with RSVP)
Cost: $20 (includes meal, tax, and tip)
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/126962587439018/

IMPORTANT: Pre-pay and RSVP required by 12pm on May 23rd and space is limited. RSVP at: https://www.wepay.com/events/tap-topic-dinner-patentip-law

Overview:
As a community, one of the important aspects/benefits is the exchange of knowledge. Topic Dinners is brought to you by the Taiwanese American Professionals – San Francisco (TAP-SF) Professional Committee. No hired experts, no lectures, just conversation over food. Some of us are more well-versed in issues than others, so the more we help each other, the stronger we become as a community. Let us know if there is a topic that interests you!

This month’s dinner topic:
This month’s event focuses on Patent and Intellectual Property Law. Intellectual property law has always been an important topic in tech-focused Bay Area. With major acquisitions, lawsuits, and court decisions centered around patents recently, the field is full of activity and controversy. Come join your fellow TAP members to discuss the latest issues and trends in IP/Patent law.

Topics/questions:
1. There have been major patent acquisitions recently (Facebook buying AOL patents for $500M, Google acquires Motorola for patents). What role should patents play in a businesses’ strategy?
2. There have also been prominent patent infringement suits in the courts recently – Yahoo suing Facebook, Oracle suing Apple. Were they justified in doing so?
3. What is the healthy balance between patent law protecting IP but also encouraging innovation? What are ways to improve our existing patent law structure?