Patents and IP are key to development and tackling poverty. Advising on them can be a really impactful way to leverage our pro bono resources. This Thursday, September 27 from noon to 1:30 pm ET, the ABA SIL International Pro Bono Committee is hosting a webinar to discuss this critical area. You can register by visiting http://bit.ly/P5l3cs.

The teleconference features:

Sara Boettiger, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Access in Action and CEO and President of Global Access to Technology & Development

Edward Elliott, Expert Advisor, U,S. Patent & Trademark Office

Paul Keller, Partner at Allen & Overy

Allison Mages, Senior Counsel for IP Procurement & Policy at GE

Quentin Palfrey, Senior Advisor for Jobs & Competitiveness at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy

Richard Wilder, Associate General Counsel at the Gates Foundation

The program features an interactive discussion about humanitarian uses of patents that serve the needs of the world's poorest populations while respecting the commercial interests and pragmatic and legal considerations of patentholders.

Issues to be discussed include maximizing impact on alleviating global poverty, strategic leveraging of patent rights, the role of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in incentivizing licensing and private sector engagement, and the role and activities of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in promoting scientific and technical policies in the Executive Branch that benefit global communities. (Please note that this program does not offer CLE credit.)

Information about the Patents for Humanity Program is available on the USPTO's site at http://1.usa.gov/UuLhHR.