March 1, 2008

San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina

San Diego, CA

Michael Gollin will be a panelist at the Association of University Technical Managers (AUTM) Annual Meeting. He will be discussing "E11 Genetic Resources and Natural Product Development: Will You Be Able to Patent and License?"

The World Trade Organization is currently considering proposals that would amend the TRIPs agreement to include mandatory new disclosure requirements for genetic and biological materials in patent applications. The World Intellectual Property Organization is also considering similar proposals in various committees of jurisdiction. Several countries, including India, Norway and China, have already amended or are contemplating amending their national laws to include such requirements. Technology transfer managers need to understand these requirements that must be addressed at the time researchers collect the genetic and biological materials, if one wants to secure later patent protection which will be necessary to attract a company to invest in the development of a product. Educating faculty researchers and instituting practices that implement these requirements will be critical to successful patenting and licensing. This panel will discuss the proposed requirements and some approaches to managing this increasingly complex topic.