Justice Dept. plans intellectual property hearings

Justice Dept. plans intellectual property hearings
By George Leopold, EE Times
November 15, 2001 (3:24 p.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011115S0053

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday (Nov. 15) that it will host hearings next year along with the Federal Trade Commission on the relationship of antitrust and intellectual property (IP) laws.

The hearings are scheduled to begin in January, but specific dates must still be published in the Federal Register.

Charles James, head of the department's Antitrust Division, said topics for the hearings would include the relationship between IP and innovation, licensing, patent pooling and other types of joint use of IP as well as competitive issues in patent settlements. "The interplay of antitrust and intellectual property is increasingly important in today's economy," James said.

The Antitrust Division has long conducted reviews of intellectual property issues on behalf of specific industries to provide guidance on antitrust enforcement. In June 1999, for instance, it released a "business review letter" approving joint licensing of patents for DVD players.