Wednesday whimsies

Sorry about the shorter-than-average whimsies this morning, pants a desperate Kat who is racing to catch a flight.  If all goes well, he hopes to add a few more bits and pieces before the day is out. Meanwhile ...

The Roundtable was great, but it was generally agreed that
Continental breakfast just isn't the same without coffee ...

The Directors Roundtable Institute's breakfast jamboree on 4 April, “A Dialogue with David Kappos, Director of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office” (noted here by Matt the Kat) was a great success in proving that large numbers of English IP enthusiasts and practitioners can make it to Central London for an early Monday morning start, regardless of what they might have been doing the night before.  Apart from that, there was also the question of its serious content.  There's good news, says the IPKat, for those who were unable to attend, or who were still celebrating Sunday night when Monday morning came around: the transcript has been lovingly prepared, no expense spared, by a crack team of transcribers and has been posted on the Directors Roundtable webbie for your delectation, here.

There wasn't room for everyone:
maybe a bigger venue next year?

Not yet available, but definitely promised by hosts Olswang LLP, is a link to yesterday's third SPC Blog seminar on supplementary protection certificates for patent term extension.  A capacity crowd of 109 enjoyed the cut-and-thrust as speakers from Olswang, Rouse, Grau & Angulo and Carpmaels & Ransford addressed a number of sensitive topics and representatives of five intellectual property offices from around Europe narrow missed being impaled by some deadly questions. Alas, nearly half as many people again had to be turned away, since interest in attending was greater than the capacity of the room to accommodate everyone.  The Kat, who also contributes to The SPC Blog, will let everyone know as soon as the promised link appears, so that those who couldn't attend will at least know what they missed.


After a slow start, the IPKat's poll on ICANN's forthcoming amplified gTLD regime (on which, see earlier post here) is gaining momentum.  Please cast your vote: your opinions are always valuable to us, even if we don't pay you for them ...


After a fast start, registrations continue to rise for the 1709 Blog's copyright debate, on whether we come to praise copyright or to bury it.  With nearly three weeks still to go, this event -- which is being held in conjunction with this weblog, now has a remarkable 182 people signed up, making it the biggest free event yet organised by the Kat and his friends.  If you've not yet signed up, click here for details.