American University Washington College of Law hosts a one-day public symposium that explores the legal, economic and policy implications of patent pledges June 12, 2015. Research papers are solicited on all aspects of patent pledges. Abstracts are due Jan. 20, 2015. The call for papers is posted at IP and IT Conferences.
Patent holders are increasingly making voluntary, public commitments to limit the enforcement and other exploitation of their patents. The best-known form of patent pledge is the so-called FRAND commitment, in which a patent holder commits to license patents to manufacturers of standardized products on terms that are “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory.” But patent pledges have been appearing in fields and environments well beyond technical standard-setting, including open source software, green technology and the biosciences. Pledges include FRAND commitments, as well as commitments not to assert patents against specified technologies or entities, and not to transfer patents to non-practicing entities.
