SIUE School of Business Co-sponsors Webinar on Patent Policy for the 5G Era
As the global community awaits the shift to the next phase of telecommunications technology, countries around the world are making significant efforts for its swift deployment to match this expectation. However, standard essential patents (SEPs) have emerged as a key issue given the need for interoperability of 5G devices across networks and countries.
To provide more insight into this trend, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business is the academic host for the International Telecommunications Society (ITS) webinar “Patent Policy for the 5G Era: The Role of Licensing Standard Essential Patents with Professor Daniel Spulber,” at 9 a.m. (CST) Tuesday, March 1.
Registration is required at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/patent-policy-and-the-global-race-for-5g-leadership-registration-232230767477.
A recent court decision in the United States suggests that the current system, a cooperative process of industry standard setting, whereby SEP holders negotiate license agreements on terms that are fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND), requires a stronger role for antitrust, administrative, and judicial regulation.
Spulber, the Elinor Hobbs distinguished professor of international business and professor of strategy at the Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, suggests that more regulation is unnecessary as it would reduce standardization, impede innovation, and constrain market negotiation of patent license agreements.
The webinar, which has important implications for the design of 5G policy and regulation, as well as more broadly for national innovation and competition policy, will address the importance of standardization, how the current SEP licensing systems fosters innovation, the role of antitrust and judicial regulation. Additionally, the session will feature crucial conversations on the implications of patent policies for invention and innovation.
The event is free to SIUE faculty and staff. SIUE is co-sponsoring the webinar with corporate host TELUS Communications.
