Director Robert Greene Sterne will be a speaker at the Seventh Annual Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property Fall Conference. Sterne will be a panelist during “Session 1: The Commercial Function of IP,” which will be moderated by Kevin Madigan, Deputy Director, Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property.

This unique conference will highlight how IP rights facilitate the creative and innovative processes and preserve the vibrant ecosystems that deliver the latest products and creative works to consumers. From the lab or studio, to extensive development, to branding and distribution, intellectual property empowers the inventors, artists, manufacturers, retailers, and marketing professionals who contribute to flourishing economies.

In addition to exploring how IP helps to improve and enrich the lives of creators, inventors, and the public, this conference will also discuss how various efforts to impose price controls in a variety of industries threaten established markets and the development of innovative products and artistic works.

Unlike most academic conferences, this conference will not focus on making IP “weaker” or “stronger.” Rather, we will seek to understand how IP institutions could work better and serve their purposes more effectively. As is the hallmark of all CPIP events, scholars, inventors, creators, and industry representatives will talk about the real-world impact of and practicality of the ideas we discuss.