2015 New York Conference: 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing

Registration and Information Desk Open

Networking Breakfast

Welcome and Introductions by INTA President and INTA CEO

J. Scott Evans, Adobe Systems, Inc. (INTA President 2015) (United States)
Etienne Sanz de Acedo, CEO, International Trademark Association (United States)

Preliminary Remarks by the Conference Co-Chairs

John Hornick, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP (Co-Chair) (United States)
Marc Trachtenberg, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Co-Chair) (United States)

Keynote Address

John Murray, Concept Laser, Inc. (United States)

SESSION I
3D Printing 101 – It’s Not Just for Chotchkies

Long gone are the days when 3D printers made knick knacks and simple plastic toys. 3D printing is used in almost every industry and is revolutionizing product development, manufacturing, and  distribution. This session presents an eye-opening and jaw-dropping overview of 3D printing which will change how you think about this disruptive technology and prime you for the rest of the  program.

Topics covered include

• What is 3D printing?
• How does the technology work?
• What are the benefits?
• How are companies using it?

Speaker
Marc Trachtenberg, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Co-Chair) (United States)

Networking Break

SESSION II
3D Printing and the Future (or Demise) of Intellectual Property

Led by John Hornick, a recognized thought leader in the 3D printing field, this high-level presentation explores the intersection—and some say the head-on collision—between 3D printing and intellectual property. Using examples of advances in 3D printing and materials, this high-level presentation delves into the impact of 3D printing on intellectual property and the world and addresses these challenging questions:

How will the democratization of manufacturing affect IP?

• Can protection from infringement be balanced with the ability to innovate?
• Is the existing IP regime up to the task, or is IP fundamentally in conflict with a 3D printed world?
• Will IP survive, or are we headed for a worldwide open technology community?

Speaker
John Hornick, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP (United States)

SESSION III
Tea, Earl Gray, Hot: 3D Printing, Copyright and the Future of Intellectual Property

Enhance your understanding of the staggering range of 3D printed products available today—and not in some distant future. Get up-to-date on the hardware, software, processes, materials, and business models comprising the 3D printing ecosystem to better identify the issues and understand how existing copyright laws and policies dovetail with advancements in this technology. Find out what recommendations have been proposed to deal with the copyright challenges of both industrial and consumer 3D printing going forward, including proposed legal, policy and technological solutions.

Speaker
Charlene B. Flick, Transcend 3D (United States)

Networking Lunch

SESSION IV
Hand Up or Hand of Death? Policymakers and 3D Printing

With its potential to impact large areas of the economy and society, widespread access  to 3D printing may raise significant questions for  policymakers.  How can policymakers work to foster the growth of 3D printing? What is the best way to balance the need to integrate 3D printing into existing legal regimes with the threat of stifling this emerging technology?

Speaker
Michael Weinberg, Public Knowledge (United States)

SESSION V
Non-IP Legal Issues of 3D Printing: How U.S. Export Controls Discourage Innovation and the Risks for 3D Printing

U.S. Export Controls were designed to protect the United States from giving certain countries high-tech information and products. Unfortunately, confusion, misapplication and delays in the system have in part resulted in the United States having a miniscule 4% world market share of machine tools and a ranking as the seventh largest world producer. Find out if 3D printing could become the next victim.

Speaker
Donald A. Manzullo, Member of Congress, 1993-2013, co-founder of House  Manufacturing Caucus (United States)

Product Safety and Liability Issues of 3D Printing

Find out how the potential product safety and liability issues of 3D printing could dwarf IP concerns. In this session, address the facts, analogs, opportunities, and fears of product liability in the context of consumer and industrial 3D printing, including medical and material uses. Get the answers to these questions:

• If a 3D printed product causes injury, who will be considered a manufacturer?
• Is current product safety and liability law adequate in a 3D printed world?
• How will the bar and the courts analyze liability?
• What role will standards play?
• Will contract language insulate 3D printer makers, designers, and fabricators?
• Can quality control mitigate the risks?
• What opportunities does the technology offer in quality control and product life cycle monitoring?

Speaker
Patrick J. Comerford, McCarter & English (United States)

Potential Tax Effects of 3D Printing

Often ignored in discussing the possible disruptions to manufacturing and distribution from the adoption of 3D printing technology is the possible effects on taxation. Will the tax base change as a result? If so, in what ways, and what might be the possible response? Take into account these questions against the backdrop of the various actors in the 3D printing ecosystem.

Speaker:
Neil J. Wilkof, Dr. Eyal Bressler Ltd. (Israel)

Networking Break

SESSION VI
Intellectual Property or Intellectual Monopoly? Why Patents Are Bad for Technological Change

Contrary to common belief, economic theory provides arguments both for and against patents as a driver of innovation and economic growth. And empirical and historical evidence suggests that patents do not help economic growth but instead may hamper it. Case studies and horror stories will illustrate these issues, and the following questions will be addressed:

• Do patents have a positive effect on growth and innovation or do they just breed more patents and legal fees?
• Is the logic underlying the patent system outdated or just plain wrong?
• Will patents help or hurt the 3D printing industry or should they be eliminated?

Speaker
Michele Boldrin, Washington University in St. Louis (United States)

SESSION VII
Topsy-Turvy Patent Claiming and Enforcement Issues in a 3D-Printed World

3D printing technology is advancing fast into new materials and applications every day, and it is also moving quickly from the workshop into the home. The technology itself is disruptive, but so are the newly emerging commercial sales infrastructures—for the first time physical products can be sold digitally directly to consumers, who themselves manufacture the products on their own printers. All of this rapid development requires a reevaluation of long-standing traditions in patent claiming and enforcement. Can digital representations of physical products be patented, and if so, how can they be claimed? How does patent enforcement change when the consumers are also the manufacturers? This session will explore these and other compelling issues to help prepare you to navigate the uncharted waters where patents and 3D printing intersect.

Speaker
Daniel H. Brean, The Webb Law Firm (United States)

Conclusion of Day One

Conference attendees are being offered an expanded networking event and will join INTA’s Pre-Annual Meeting Reception, which is planned exclusively for those local members who wish to learn more about the 2015 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, the world’s largest and most widely attended trademark event. We hope to see you there!

Registration and Information Desk Open

Networking Breakfast

Welcome by Program Chairs

John Hornick, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP (United States)
Marc Trachtenberg Greenberg Traurig, LLP (United States)

Keynote address: Desktop 3D Printing: Where it is and Where it’s Headed

Speakers
Sam Cervantes, Solidoodle (United States)
John C. Knapp, Solidoodle (United States)

SESSION VIII
3D Printed Firearms: Additive Manufacturing Meets Hobbyist Gunsmithing

Some people call 3D printed guns the dark side of 3D printing. But the people who tinker with the intersection of 3D printing and firearms don’t see it as dark at all. Engineer, hacker, hobbyist gunsmith, and all-around nerd, Michael Guslick (aka ‘Have Blue’) will tell the story of how and why he and others have designed, tested, and proven the functionality of plastic 3D printed firearms. Also covered are the issues surrounding the creation and public release of step-by-step gun-printing instructional files, 3D model creation through scanning and reverse engineering, circumvention measures, efforts to defeat them, and a hacker’s outlook on IP protection.

Speaker
Michael Guslick, Have Blue [dot org] (United States)

Networking Break

SESSION IX
Copies, Counterfeits and Progress: How Tools for 3D Creation and Duplication Create New Legal Challenges for Trademark Rights-Holders and Technological Pioneers

3D trademarks have long been recognized. But new 3D technologies— including printers, scanners, design software, and even the 3D technologies embedded in every smartphone, computer and Web browser—allow for unprecedented replication and dissemination of 3D designs, both physically and digitally. Get the answers to your questions on:

• How can rights-holders continue to protect and fully exploit the goodwill in their trademarks in this environment?
• How can service providers protect themselves when they allow others to use their platforms to share, sell and distribute 3D designs?
• What level of diligence can be truly expected of the excited and growing population of active users of these 3D creation technologies?

Speaker
Paul Banwatt, Matter and Form Inc. (Canada)

SESSION X
3D Printing: An In-House Perspective

Caterpillar not only makes big machines with many parts, it also sells popular scale models of its earth-moving equipment.  3D printing presents distinct issues for its big machines and little machines.  John Cheek, Caterpillar’s Senior Corporate Counsel – Intellectual Property, presents an in-house perspective on utility and design patent issues of 3D printing (relating to industrial machines and parts), and trademark and design patent issues of 3D printing (relating to industrial parts and scale models).

Speaker
John Cheek, Caterpillar Inc. (United States)

SESSION XI
Design Patents & 3D Printing: Meaningful Protection Scheme or Just Another Speed Bump?

Design patents have long been used by many industries to protect the overall look and feel of their products, as well as the appearance of their replacement parts, from copyists and competitors. Today many innovators are rediscovering the power of the design patent as a potential weapon against the copyist in the age of 3D printing. Get a better understanding of how to craft a flexible and comprehensive design patent strategy to build value in your portfolio and protect your designs from easy design-arounds. Examine the repair and replacement doctrine and its effects on patent strategy and enforcement. Explore the potential use of design patents to protect design files used in 3D printing and traded on the Internet.

Speaker
Elizabeth D. Ferrill, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP (United States)

SESSION XII
3D Printing: The Next 25 Years—Why There Won’t Be a Napster Moment for Most Companies

By 2025, it’s estimated that the 3D printing industry will be worth at least $22 billion. While mass adoption of 3D printing may seem as though it’s a long way off, brands that don’t start preparing for this next revolution could face a bleak future. Melba Kurman and Hod Lipson, co-authors of Fabricated: The New World of 3D Printing, provide their perspective on this disruptive technology and its potential effects on intellectual property.

Speakers
Melba Kurman, Triple Helix Innovation, LLC (United States)
Hod Lipson, Cornell University (United States)

Closing Remarks and Thank You