LICENSING & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

University and Industry Relationships:
A Recent Symposium on Patenting and Licensing at JHU's Tilghman Auditorium

A few weeks ago JHU's Licensing and Technology Development office, in conjunction with the law firm Foley Hoag, LLC, produced a very interesting and informative symposium looking at licensing and patenting from the university, big company, and little company perspectives.

Robert M. Hallenbeck, Vice President, Business Development & Strategic Investments
Becton Dickinson & Co. was the keynote speaker. He was the attorney that hired Foley Hoag in a patent infringement law suit to defend the JHU patent for Dr. Curt Civin's MY10 monoclonal antibody against the hematopoietic stem cell progenitor. He discussed this case and the Herculean effort made by Dr. Civin throughout the duration of the jury trial. There are movie rights to this story!

Cynthia Zarsky, Senior Director, Technology Acquisition, Merck Research Laboratories presented the large company licensing perspective. Blake M. Paterson, MD
President & CEO, Alba Therapeutics Corporation, and Omar M. Knio
Senior Vice President, Reactive NanoTechnologies, Inc. presented a licensing discussion from a small company perspective. LTD's own Nicole Leonard, JD, opened this segment with an overview of university licensing practices and policies; an impressive line-up and good information all way round.

Leigh Penfield, JD, Assistant Director, JHU LTD and Gillian M. Fenton, JD, Counsel, Foley Hoag LLP presented important patenting issues from the university and company perspectives, respectively and Don Ware, Partner, Foley Hoag and the prosecuting attorney for the above-mentioned patent infringement case, provided background, insights, and lessons learned from, what has become, a landmark case.

LTD provides symposia such as this, and the one last May on SBIR and alternative funding resources, so as to fulfill an education mission component of technology transfer. It is our hope that by bringing these kinds of events to JHU we can not only share information but also inspire invention and an entrepreneurship culture.

If you would like to be added to the e-mailing list for such events and/or have any suggestions for topics that could lend themselves to a half-day symposium relating to licensing, patenting, or intellectual property, please contact:

Catherine E. Vorwald
Assistant Director
Licensing and Technology Development
410 516-4964
cvorwal1@jhmi.edu

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