Takeaways From IP Counsel Café 2019 ‘Parts Unknown: Global IP in an Increasingly Connected Yet Foreign World’

Earlier this month, IP Counsel from around the globe gathered in Silicon Valley for the 11th annual IP Counsel Café Palo Alto conference, a rare opportunity to openly discuss their IP practices and recent challenges, reconnect with colleagues, and hear from some of the world’s most innovative companies. The title of this year’s conference was “Parts Unknown: Global IP in an Increasingly Connected Yet Foreign World.” IP Counsel asked for no press to be invited to attend, in order to retain complete safety of collegiality. The elephant in the room was, of course, the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. As we sat in the ballroom exchanging ideas, news headlines flashed across our laptops and handheld devices, describing how the two nations were attempting to inflict wounds on each other via tariffs.

The IP Counsel’s job is impacted by many factors that are beyond their control. For one, IP strategy must follow the business strategy, and that depends on their client, the corporation they serve. Once their client determines what activities the business will engage in and where, IP Counsel must develop an IP strategy that best supports this business strategy. What is clear is that they must be intentional. Multiple panel discussions at IP Counsel Café emphasized that the IP space is not an area that rewards loose hand-waving. IP Counsel must be rigorous in their thinking, and plan every aspect of their IP strategies, down to the very holes that they allow to develop in their portfolios, which can later be filled through acquisitions.