Leading Global IP Associations Discuss Policy Considerations for Providing Intellectual Property Protection for Artificial Intelligence for the Public Benefit

Washington DC, Zurich, Basel – 29 April 2019: AIPLA, AIPPI and FICPI jointly organized a high-level colloquium on Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a focus on AI and Patent, Copyright and Trade Secret protection in Turin, Italy on 28-29 March 2019. The Colloquium addressed the challenges arising from rapid developments with respect to AI, a topic of critical importance to IP holders and businesses as the Fourth Industrial Revolution continues.

The Colloquium began with a review of the current state of protection of AI by Patents, followed by consideration of policies to best promote and protect AI going forward for the benefit of the public.  The Colloquium considered four specific patent topics: 1) patent eligibility, 2) assessment of inventiveness, 3) adequacy of disclosure, and 4) inventorship.  The Colloquium also reviewed the current state of protection of AI under both Copyright and Trade Secret laws. The Colloquium began with demonstrations of AI in various fields of technology, as well as technical discussions of AI, i.e., the terminology used and the concepts involved.  This was followed by discussions of the impact of AI on the intellectual property profession and the various Patent Offices. 

With this background, the issues surrounding the four topics were discussed with the speakers providing the current landscape. The last session of the Colloquium was devoted to a discussion on policies in the development of IP with respect to AI.  The Colloquium was intended to facilitate the continuing development of the intellectual property system for the protection of AI-implemented and created inventions for the benefit of the public.

The President of FICPI, Julian Crump, commented: “The increasingly widespread use of AI in new technologies, even in the very creation of new innovation, is challenging some of the fundamental concepts of IP law, especially in relation to Patents. It seems incongruous that important inventions in this field may be deprived of adequate protection on the application of established IP laws. FICPI was delighted that the panelists and delegates identified some very significant policy issues that will need detailed consideration if we are to ensure that inventions which use or are made with the assistance of AI are protectable and therefore investable to support the creation of wealth and jobs in the 21^st Century.”

The President of AIPLA, Sheldon Klein, agreed and added: ”This gathering of major international IP associations, together with experienced government officials and IP thought leaders from law and business, provided a global perspective on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the development of intellectual property.   AIPLA is pleased to have co-organized this timely program on this important and evolving topic.”

At the conclusion of the Colloquium, AIPPI Reporter General Jonathan Osha noted, “Advancements in application of AI to a wide variety of fields have occurred at a remarkably rapid pace.  This jointly organized, high-level colloquium provided an excellent forum for studying and identifying key challenges for IP protection arising from these developments.  The programme offered a well-balanced variety of perspectives from IP offices, rights holders, and private attorneys representing a number of different jurisdictions.  AIPPI was very pleased to have the opportunity to help facilitate this well-rounded and informative discussion and looks forward to participating in future work on the policy issues that were identified for further consideration.”

A copy of the program can be found here.  The Colloquium Primer on Patents can be found here.  The Colloquium Primer on Copyright can be found here.  Summaries of the sessions of the Colloquium and selected presentations of the speakers will be on the websites of AIPPI (www.aippi.org), AIPLA (www.aipla.org) and FICPI (www.ficpi.org) as they become available.

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AIPLA, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, was founded in 1897 to maintain a high standard of professional ethics. AIPLA’s mission includes helping establish and maintain fair and effective laws and policies that stimulate and reward innovation while balancing the public’s interest in healthy competition, reasonable costs, and basic fairness. AIPLA is a national bar association of approximately 13,500 members in private and corporate practice, in government service, and in the academic community.

AIPPI, the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, is dedicated to the development and improvement of the regimes for the protection of intellectual property at a national and international level. It is a politically neutral, non-profit organization, domiciled in Switzerland which currently has about 9000 Members representing more than 100 countries and including lawyers, patent and trademark agents or attorneys, representatives from industrial corporations as well as judges, academics, scientists and engineers.

FICPI, the Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Intellectuelle, established in Paris in 1906, is a nonpolitical international federation of national and regional associations of intellectual property attorneys in private practice, with a rapidly growing membership of nearly 6000 Members. FICPI is a global body, broadly representative of the free profession, and plays a leading role in advancing and stimulating improvements in intellectual property law, the profession at large and its members’ professional impact on society.

AIPLA Contact:

Kemahl Franklyn

AIPPI Contact:

Fabienne Martin

External Relations Executive
+41 44 280 58 80
f.martin@aippi.org

FICPI Contact:

Alexander Wyrwoll

President, FICPI Communications Commission
+49 89 54 30 16 26
alexander.wyrwoll@ficpi.org