The 2013 Forum, held at the John Marshall Law School on May 10-11 in Chicago, USA, was co-organised not just by the four IP firms from Brazil, Russia, India and China involved in the previous BIPF conferences, but by Adams & Adams from South Africa as well.
In the majestic backdrop of Lake Michigan, experts from the five BRICS countries shared views on current developments in IP and practical advice on enforcing intellectual property rights in the BRICS nations. Specifically, the conference focussed on patent issues relating to patent novelty, compulsory licenses, inventor remuneration and patent litigation trends. Also discussed were strategies and problems in enforcing IP rights in the BRICS countries, including border control measures. In addition, sessions covered critical issues such as the challenges posed to trademarks in social media, the protection of famous marks and trade dress as well as trademark prosecution and registration strategies.