- WHAT'S AHEAD ON HIGHWAY 101?
November 3, 2006
The George Washington University Law School
Washington DC
Sponsored by:
Oracle Corporation and The George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School (GW) and Oracle Corporation are pleased to sponsor a one-day symposium on the revival of statutory subject matter rejections in computer-related art, with special attention to the new PTO Guidelines and recent Supreme Court developments, at GW on November 3rd, 2006. This will be the sixth symposium that GW has co-sponsored with Oracle on patent issues of particular concern to industry, academics, and policy makers. Attendees and speakers have included government officials (including federal judges, legislative staff, and PTO officials), leading academics, and practicing attorneys. The presentations have been directed to an audience already well informed on the subject, and thus able to consider the issues at an advanced level of analysis.
The goal of each of the past symposia has been to inspire new thoughts and stimulate discussion on the selected topic in patent law. To help achieve this goal, writing grants have been awarded to selected academics. The only restrictions on content are the scope of the topic (it must be directed to the symposium’s designated topic) and quality of the work (it must be of publishable quality). The academic writing grants, depth of analysis, and freedom afforded the authors have been distinguished these symposia from other conferences.
The sixth symposium in this series will focus on the revival of statutory subject matter rejections in computer-related art, with special attention to the new PTO Guidelines and recent Supreme Court developments. After a trilogy of decisions of first impression, the Court abandoned the field to the Federal Circuit, which developed a somewhat distinctive jurisprudence of its own, only to abandon efforts to chart out a boundary between statutory subject matter and non-statutory subject matter in computer-related art in the late 1990s. The PTO vacillated and then remained quiescent until it revived the “technological arts” rejection in Ex Parte Bowman in 2001, only to reject the “technological arts” doctrine in 2005 in In re Lundgren and the PTO’s new Guidelines for statutory subject matter. As yet, the Federal Circuit has not spoken on the PTO’s current views.
Request for Papers; Grants:
To stimulate critical academic thinking in this area, Oracle will provide a writing grant plus a travel expense stipend to one or more selected law school faculty members for writing a publishable paper and attending and presenting the paper at the symposium. Papers can address substantive legal principles and/or economic principles regarding punitive measures for patent infringement; proposals for resolution of issues and for solving problems; and/or related policy considerations. GW and Oracle intend to seek post-symposium publication of the papers as a group.
Conditions for Grant Proposals
1. Grants: Oracle will provide a $7,000 grant plus a $500 travel expense stipend (as necessary) to selected proposal writers, in advance, conditioned on (i) completion and submission of a timely law review quality publication that addresses substantive legal principles and/or economic principles, focusing on the revival of statutory subject matter rejections in computer-related art with special attention to the new PTO Guidelines and recent Supreme Court developments,; and (ii) attendance and presentation of the paper at a Symposium co-sponsored by The George Washington University Law School and Oracle (“Sponsors”). The Symposium will be held on November 3rd, 2006, at The George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. Oracle reserves the sole discretion to determine the number of grants awarded. All proposals must be received by Oracle by July 15th, 2006. Grantees will be notified by August 1st, 2006. Essays must be received by Oracle before October 1s!
t, 2006 substantially in final form.
2. Eligibility: Any faculty member of an accredited university may submit a proposal.
3. Proposal Format Requirements: All proposals must be no more than three (3) typed, one-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages. All soft copy must be in MS Word for Windows, Adobe PDF, HTML formatted, or ASCII text.
4. Proposal DEADLINE: Proposals must be received by Oracle before July 15th, 2006.
5. Copyright and Publication: Submission of a proposal constitutes grant of a nonexclusive, irrevocable, and fully paid-up license under all applicable law worldwide to use and publish the all or any part of the submitted essay for any purpose and in any medium anywhere in the world, now existing or later developed, and to use the grantee’s name and photograph without royalty or additional consideration. The license further provides Oracle with the right of first publication of the submitted essay alone or with one or more of the other selected essays in a law review or similar academic journal. The license does not prohibit grantees from seeking subsequent publication of their submitted essays elsewhere, but each such publication must acknowledge the Oracle Grant and may not otherwise refer to Oracle or use the Oracle name for any other purpose.
6. Proposals must be sent by e-mail attachment to: madelman@law.gwu.edu
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Professor Martin J. Adelman
PHONE: (202) 994-7703
FAX: (248) 356-7554
e-mail: madelman@law.gwu.edu
