JOHn mArSHALL
One of the pleasant surprises of working at two US lawyers serving as opposing counsel, A number of other events at John Marshall
John Marshall, Gruner says, is the IP-rich and visiting students acting as the jury. The provide significant CPD education for IP
environment of Chicago. In Chicago alone, there comparative litigation session at the State
specialists. Each February, John Marshall
are six law schools approved by the US Bar— Intellectual Property Office Training Center in
hosts an annual IP Updates Conference,
four of which have IP specialty programmes. Beijing attracted a large audience, including
which discusses developing legal and practical
There are also a number of organisations, such Chinese government officials and IP attorneys.
IP issues highlighted by keynote speakers.
as the Chicago Intellectual Property Alliance,
Recent keynote speakers include US Register
with which the law school is affiliated, that
of Copyrights Marybeth Peters and Judge
promote multi-school events and help to build
Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit Court
better programmes.
“JOHn mArSHALL’S
of Appeal. Comprehensive overviews of four
“John Marshall has benefited from the wider
areas—patents, trademarks, copyright and
Chicago legal community, not only academically
WOrK WItH tHe
trade secrets—are covered by four speakers who
but particularly in the practitioner and judicial cHIneSe Ip cOmmUnItY
give their take on the most important recent
realm. It has been very supportive in helping
reFLectS tHe
developments in each area. Later in the year, the
to build these programmes,” Gruner says.
“We are fortunate to be able to get not only
GrOWInG ImpOrtAnce
spring IP Ethics Conference brings in US Patent
and Trademark Office and state disciplinary
its participation, but the very highest level of In InternAtIOnAL
officials to discuss important IP ethics issues.
expertise.”
cOmmerce OF cHIneSe
A number of IP academic speakers also give
connections with china
bUSIneSS ActIVItIeS And
presentations at John Marshall throughout
Ip USAGe.” the year. In these presentations, leading IP
Since joining John Marshall in 2007, Gruner
academics express their views on IP topics and
has also become involved in developing the
explain the results of their own latest research.
school’s links with IP specialists in China. John
These too are popular with the local Bar. Past
Marshall’s work with the Chinese IP community
presentations include ‘Understanding Patent
reflects the growing importance in international
Quality Mechanisms’, ‘The Political Economy of
commerce of Chinese business activities and IP
Intellectual Property Law’, and ‘Patent Failure:
usage. One result of John Marshall’s relationships
How Judges, Bureaucrats, and Lawyers Put
with IP leaders from China is that the school
Innovators at Risk’.
is able to call upon top Chinese IP specialists
to teach at its campus in Chicago. The Chinese
Upcoming events include a series of panels and
patent law course at John Marshall is taught
The huge interest in China’s IP developments
keynote speakers to kick off the new Chinese
by Dr Lulin Gao, former commissioner of the
has also prompted John Marshall’s founding of
Resource Center on September 2 and 3. The
State Intellectual Property Office of China and
a new Chinese IP Resource Center in Chicago.
US-China Intellectual Property Protection
one of the leading founders of the Chinese IP
“This will provide a window on the Chinese IP
Co-operation and Research Forum will celebrate
system. As a continuing education course, it
system for the US IP community,” Gruner says.
the 15-year relationship between John Marshall
attracts interest from many members of the Bar
“It will also serve as a forum for the international
and China—specifically its educational service
in Chicago.
study and discussion of developing features of
to the Chinese State Intellectual Property
the Chinese IP system, and provide a much-
John Marshall’s connections with China are Office and its predecessor—and the Chinese
needed link between US and Chinese officials,
further strengthened through its summer government’s commitment to economic growth
judges, lawyers, academics and students
programme in association with Peking and the commercial laws and institutions to
regarding shared issues of IP development and
University in Beijing. Approved by the
usage in China.”
support this growth.
American Bar Association (ABA), in 2009, the
programme took American law students to
The goals of the Resource Center are to create
On October 23, an event addressing Diverging
China to study three areas: IP in international
and present classes, continuing legal education
Standards in European and American Trademark
business organisations, a survey of US IP laws,
programmes and academic conferences on
and Copyright Laws will assess differences in EU
and a comparison of IP enforcement in China
Chinese IP laws and developments, and to make
and US trademark laws. For instance, the event
and the US. Students attending the programme broader materials and computer-based resources will consider the differing protections afforded
were also taken on educational visits to the on Chinese IP issues accessible in the US. a trademark that is already famous in one part
State Intellectual Property Office and a leading of the world when the trademark is brought to
Chinese law firm.
The links between John Marshall and the Chinese
another country.
IP community span 15 years. During this time,
The programme in China also included a more than 400 Chinese IP specialists have taken
Many more events will follow and John
comparative litigation programme, which courses at the school. It is now benefiting from
Marshall will continue to look to the future—in
demonstrated how the same trademark these alumni: Chinese patent examiners who
both providing informative and contemporary
controversy would be litigated in Chinese trained in Chicago are now in senior roles at the
methods of teaching CPD, and keeping abreast
and American courts. Three Chinese judges State Intellectual Property Office and Chinese
of the many IP-related developments that US
and four Chinese attorneys were involved IP law firms, and they provide great support to
legal professionals will be looking to study.
in last year’s case simulation, with Chicago’s John Marshall, hosting and assisting its students
Federal District Court Judge David Coar and when they are in China.
32 World Intellectual property review September/October 2009 www.worldipreview.com
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