Dear Colleagues,

The autumn of this remarkable and demanding year is upon us. Our country continues to face extraordinary tests in its politics, economics and public health. As challenging as the times may be, however, I have confidence in the resiliency of our fundamental institutions, and in their ability to endure and improve.

Within the BPLA, the pandemic has precluded most of our in-person gatherings in 2020. Nevertheless, our success in bringing the greater portion of our activities online has allowed us to advance the organization. All in all, it’s clear that the Boston Patent Law Association has adapted admirably.

The credit for this achievement goes to our members, who have participated enthusiastically and in numbers, and to our committee chairs and presenters, who have embraced our new online venues. Our chairs are mastering the technology and techniques that make web-based meetings enjoyable and informative, and we are all learning to be comfortable in this new environment.

One of the first of these gatherings, hosted by President-elect Dan Young, brought together the leadership of the committees for discussion and the sharing of ideas.

Taking these ideas to heart, the In-House Committee sponsored roundtables in April, August and September, offering new access and insight into life within the corporate realm, as well as a wealth of tips for success in a world without business travel.

The Case Law Club held meetings by web conference in May and September, addressing and respectively.

In May, the Legislative Committee hosted a discussion of COVID-19 and legislative issues. The committee held a further meeting in July to review developments in the Massachusetts legislature related to the pending bill on bad faith patent assertion, and to discuss potential changes at the federal level.

Our new Speaker Series continued with a timely presentation by Krish Gupta, Dell VP for Intellectual Property, in which he discussed adapting to doing business under the constraints of the pandemic.

The Computer Law Committee gave us a presentation on Legal and Business Considerations of Open Source Software in July. Also in July, our Business and Marketplace Committee presented a webinar on The IP Paradigm Shift: Trends and Changes after COVID-19.

In August the Diversity Committee met to continue development of its charter, and followed up with an exploration of avenues for broadening diversity within an organization.

In September, the Patent Office Practice Committee presented a comprehensive review of recent policy changes and initiatives.

October is shaping up to be a great month. The Litigation and Biotech committees hosted a joint seminar on Litigating Biotech Patents. The ITC Committee presented a panel discussion on Section 337 Practice, and the In-House Practice Committee will hold a roundtable discussion on Maintaining The In-House Counsel’s Relationship With Its Client. October wraps up with our Annual PCT Seminar, with speakers from WIPO held on October 29 and 30th.

Of special note is the 10th Annual Awards, to be held on November 17, 2020.

Please look to our Community Calendar for more information on all of these events. We look forward to your participation, and your continuing contributions to this fine organization.

Thank you for your support, and for your friendship.

Sincerely,

Michael Bergman President