Already our members have taken my encouragement to provide excellent programming through collaboration to heart. During a single week in April, I was able to attend jointly planned by the , BPLA Immediate Past President , and of (CLIC) where useful insights from the collective wisdom of The Honorable , , and ², of , and ofwere shared, and jointly planned by our newly-created, the , and where practitioners learned about best practices and recent developments, jurisdiction, and insider advice about how to navigate enforcing IP rights via

Other collaborations in April have involved BPLA President-Elect , of the (AIPLA), of the , and of hosting for , and our working with the Boston Bar Association to host a survey of music law, which makes the attribution of this quarter’s leading collaboration quote particularly apropos.

Speaking of that quote, I imagine many of our readers have a particular fondness for LEGO^® bricks. While some of the new, less “brick-like” pieces that come with to build particular structures are nice, for me nothing beats a of LEGO^® bricks. Or if you are getting creative, you can follow the lead of and graduate student and . Just as Ricky Reed sees each new artist with whom he works as a new LEGO^® brick with which he can build a new sound, providing endless possibilities for the resulting collaborative, creative works, I hope each of our members is seizing opportunities in their personal and professional lives to build with the varied LEGO^® bricks at our disposal (., other members, members of other organizations, parents of children’s classmates, neighbors), working collaboratively on shared endeavors, leading to results that have endless possibilities.

Like the little boy I once was opening a new pack of LEGO^® bricks on my birthday, I am very excited about what lies ahead for the BPLA in the coming months. On Thursday, May 31, I hope to see many of you at the for our , where we will present with our . As of this writing, we have at least 23 judges from the likes of the , the , the , and the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board planning to join us for the evening.”

During the dinner, we will also have the opportunity to hear from an expert in a field that is the . I am thrilled to announce that will be delivering our keynote speech. Not only is Professor Sweeney a professor in residence at , she is also the and the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science .

The week following the Judges Dinner, 16,000+ people in the life sciences industry will descend upon the Seaport for . While I anticipate that many of our members will be attending, participating in, and/or hosting clients and out-of-town colleagues during the convention, our committees are hard at work collaborating with examiners from the (EPO) to put together two exceptional programs occurring right around the same time. You should be sure not to miss them.

For those who practice in the high tech industries, you will not want to miss the (among other topics), during which examiners from the EPO will share their insights about best practices for pursuing software-based inventions in Europe. For those who practice in the life sciences industries, you will not want to miss our , during which examiners from the EPO will share their insights about best practices for pursuing life sciences-based inventions, such as inventions involving antibodies, in Europe. Stay tuned for more information on both of these programs.

Later this summer, we are going to bring back the . This year, on Saturday, August 4, we are inviting our members and their families for a day of fun at the . We have rented the for the afternoon, and for just $20 per person, not only will you get a ticket for full admission into the Aquarium, but you will also be able to come-and-go from the tent as you please to eat, drink, and catch up with fellow members of the Association. We will open sign-up for the Summer Outing shortly after the date of the Judges Dinner, so stay tuned.

¹ , as requested by .

² Fun fact —we learned that Chief Judge Ruschke applied for this position solely by submitting a resume through .

³ . Children < 3 will also be free for our Summer Outing.

I would be remiss if I did not extend a thank you and congratulations to our Committee, and in particular and , for their work in in the, arguing in support of the Supreme Court granting certiorari to provide timely guidance on the meaning of “on-sale” under the . Nine briefs in support of were submitted, including from the AIPLA, the , the , and the . The BPLA was in good company, and the brief was well written. Likewise, thank you and congratulations to our Litigation Committee, and in particular , , and their supporting cast () for their work in submitting the on the , which were finalized after our previous issue published.

It’s also worth noting that once again the BPLA was on the right side of the argument with its brief. In the recent , the Supreme Court that Congress can properly assign the adjudication of patent validity to an administrative agency without violating Article III or the Seventh Amendment. Thus, reviews are constitutional. Congratulations to , , and for drafting the brief that articulated the position adopted by the Supreme Court.

Finally, in April, our new USPTO Director, , . I could not agree more. As we work together within and outside of the BPLA to provide excellent programming and other resources to our members and the public more generally, let us also be mindful of the way we discuss IP amongst ourselves and with the public. Director Iancu calls for us to “[define] the patent system by the brilliance of inventors, the excitement of invention, and the incredible benefits they bring to society.” Please join me in being a zealous advocate for the US patent system, and all who participate in it, so we can help others see the great system that has been built, patent-by-patent, arguably .

I look forward to seeing many of you at our programs and events in the coming months. As always, if you have your own ideas for “LEGO^® bricks” we should be using to build our next program or event, please do not hesitate to contact me.