USPTO Road Show: Protecting and Enforcing Intellectual Property Concerning China -- What Houston Businesses Need to Know

Agenda and Speakers confirmed! 

Approved for 3.0 hours Texas CLE credit

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been among the top destinations for Texas exports in recent years.  But business owners doing business in or with China may find that their valuable intellectual property (IP) is being infringed.  Even businesses not operating in China may find counterfeit versions of their products for sale in China or the United States, or their trademarks registered in China without their knowledge.

At this program, U.S. government experts, IP attorneys, and local business representatives will share their insights on how U.S. rights holders can protect and enforce their IP in the United States. 

Topics include:

Houston-area business owners who are new to conducting business in or with China will benefit from this program, which will share basic knowledge needed to develop an effective IP strategy.

Please note that this is an in-person program only; there is no virtual attendance option.

Continuing legal education (CLE) credit may be available to attendees of this program, pending approval by the State Bar of Texas.

This program is organized by the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs and the USPTO’s Southwest Regional Outreach Office, in collaboration with Rice University’s Fondren Library.  The program is one of a series of China IP Road Shows that the USPTO conducts across the country. For more information about the series, visit the China IP Road Show homepage.

REGISTER TODAY via the "Register" button above.  

AGENDA and SPEAKERS:

  8:00  Registration/Check-in

  8:45  Opening Remarks

• Dr. Tam Dao, Assistant Vice President for Research Security, Rice University
• Branden Ritchie, Deputy Chief Policy Officer for Creative Works and Global Outreach, USPTO

  8:55  IP Developments in China:  Challenges and Opportunities in a Shifting IP Environment

  9:15  Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights from an E-commerce Perspective

• Kebharu Smith, Director, Counterfeit Crimes Unit, Amazon
• Hope Shimabuku, Regional Director, Southwest Office, USPTO, Moderator 

  9:45  U.S. Export Control and the Effects on U.S. Right Holders

• Grant Leach, Partner, Husch Blackwell, Omaha, Nebraska
• Hannah Edlund, Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), Rice University, Moderator

10:05  Break

10:20  IP Enforcement in the U.S.:  Border, Civil and Criminal Enforcement  

• Mackenzie Martin, Baker McKenzie 
• Juan Pagan, US Homeland Security Investigations, Port of Houston
• Scott Flake, Counterintelligence Task Force Coordinator, FBI
• Dr. Patricia Stepp, Assistant Vice President for Technology Transfer, Rice University, Moderator
  

11:00  Best Practices When Doing Business in/with China:  The Texas Experience

• Leslie Streeter, IP Counsel, LyondellBasell
• Marlene Valderrama, Senior IP Asset Manager, Halliburton
• Oren Gelber, Associate General Counsel, Academy Sports + Outdoors
• Phyllis Turner-Brim, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Products, Services, and Global Brand Security, HP Inc.
• George Webb, School of Engineering & Computing, Rice University, Moderator

11:55  Closing Remarks

12:00  Road Show adjourns

Note that the agenda is subject to change.

For additional details, visit the USPTO event page https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/events/strategies-protecting-and-enforcing-intellectual-property-china-what-houston-area.

LOCATION:

Anne & Charles Duncan Hall, Rice University

6100 Main Street, Entrance #1 or #2

Houston, Texas 77005 

https://map.concept3d.com/?id=473#!m/119192?share

For more information, please contact: 

Lakeisha Harley

USPTO Office of Policy and International Affairs

lakeisha.harley@uspto.gov

George Webb 

Rice Center for Engineering Leadership

(713) 348-2704

gwebb@rice.edu