This year’s Annual Conference of the German Association for Protection of IP and Copyright will take place from 15 to 18 September 2010 in Hamburg. Speaking at the conference, BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT partner Dr Chrstian Czychowski will give a lecture entitled “Digital Contents: Work and/or Software?” on 16.09.2010. There will be a podium discussion following on from the lecture. The discussion will be led by Prof Gerald Spindler, University of Göttingen. The annual conference of the GRUR is one of the largest German forums for exchange between industry and lawyers in the field of intellectual property.

On the 7th, 8th and 9th September 2010 the Indian Institute of Intellectual Property Research and Development (IIPRD) is holding symposia in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi respectively. BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT partner Dr. Ludwig Kouker will conduct the symposia with Robert Kenney of Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch LLP, USA, and Vinod Khurana of Khurana & Khurana, India. The spotlight will be on administering and expanding trademark portfolios in the international business sector and within the Indian, US American and European context. The seminars are aimed at CEOs, law department heads, authorised representatives and R&D officers.

From 29th August to 1st September 2010 the IP firm of Gorodissky & Partners is hosting the seventh international IP seminar. This year’s edition is entitled “Obtaining and Enforcement of IP Rights in Russia”. Among the speakers at the Moscow seminar will be BOEHMERT 6 BOEHMERT partner Prof. Dr. Heinz Goddar, who will deliver a paper on the subject of “New Patent Invalidation Procedure in Germany” on 1st September.

“Home Networking” and so-called Connected-Life-Solutions are seen to have great future chances. On 19 and 20 May 2010, the first German congress will take place in Cologne. The event is organised jointly by the Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, the Federal Association for Information Technology, Technology and New Media (BITKOM) and the Cologne trade fair, Koelnmesse. The aim is to create a platform for the exchange of information and location perspectives. On 20 May, BOEHMERT & BOEGMERT partner Dr Martin Schaefer will host the panel discussion “Legal Framework” The discussion will focus on aspects such as “digital rights management”, “electronic identity”, “dataprotection@home” or “expectations and benefits for networked consumers”. Alongside the exhibition, several experts attending the trade congress will discuss the various fields of application of Connected Life Solutions. Topic areas include Entertainment, Lifestyle & Communication, Energy Efficiency, Health and Ambient Assisted Living. Standards and technologies will be discussed in various panels, new business models for trade and crafts will be shown. Attention will also be given to the legal framework and consumer topics. Further information

“Supporting Culture in a Digital Age” – was the heading of this year’s plenary assembly of the Cultural Circle of German Business and Industry within the Federation of German Industry, here: the Working Group Culture Sponsorship. The assembly will be held in Essen on 3 and 4 May 2010 and will focus on culture on the web and the online marketing of cultural engagements. Speaking at the assembly on 3 May will be BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT partner Dr Martin Schaefer. He will look at “Copyright for Digital Culture Offers”. The Cultural Circle of German Business and Industry within the FGI is an institution which looks back on a long tradition of entrepreneurial culture support in Germany. With membership fees and donations from its 400 members – including Germany’s leading companies, the Cultural Circle has supported artists in the fields of architecture, visual arts, literature and music since 1951. It lobbies for a society in which culture is understood as an essential resource. Further information