It is generally assumed that intellectual property rights (IPR) are essential for competitiveness and innovation, and thus to the functioning and progress of what have come to be known as "knowledge-based economies". At the same time, it is clear that very different attitudes and practices prevail in different countries and in different industries, and sometimes even between different kinds of specialists working side by side in the same industry (for instance, in medicine, the surgeon and the drug manufacturer). This session will discuss the relationship between innovation and property in a number of different sectors, including pharmaceuticals, software and the arts, and explore the impact of intellectual property rights protection on innovation and economic growth. The issues under discussion will include the role of IPR in both industrialized and developing countries, pertinent strategies for IPR in a globalized world, the handling of these rights within the international trade regime, and an analysis of best practices in the field of corporate IP management.

The session will convene senior legal and corporate experts, high-level government officials and leading academics and commentators from around the world to explore ideas on how countries can benefit from new paradigms of innovation and develop solutions to persistent global disputes relating to IP. The underlying question will be how to ensure that IPR are used to promote the widest possible benefits from innovation, and not restrict them.

The fee for this session is 3,300 EURO. The fee covers the cost of the program, accommodations, and meals.

Limited scholarship funding may be available for those who are unable to pay the full fee (i.e. from developing countries or NGOs). Participants seeking scholarship assistance must submit an application for financial aid to our admissions office.