Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Sharon Barner Announced as Keynote Speaker at CPA Global IP Conference

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, September 28, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the US Government's leading officials in intellectual property (IP) has been announced as the keynote speaker at the 2010 CPA Global Conference in October. Sharon Barner, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), will provide the conference with important insights into the work of the USPTO as well as the agency's view on the most pressing matters facing the IP industry today.

The conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center near Washington, DC, from 17-20 October 2010, is organised and hosted by CPA Global, the world's top intellectual property management specialist and a leading provider of legal services outsourcing.

Deputy Director Barner will join hundreds of fellow IP professionals and CPA Global experts at the event to discuss key industry issues and best practices in IP portfolio management. During her address, the Deputy Under Secretary, who serves as a leader in developing and articulating policy on all US domestic and foreign patent, trademark and copyright issues, will outline the current state of the USPTO, including its challenges and strategic objectives. She will focus in particular on the agency's patent application backlog and the strategy to reduce it, the USPTO's IT reform project and the growing importance of IP protection to global competitiveness.

Commenting on her participation in the conference, Deputy Director Barner said: "I am pleased to be joining the 2010 CPA Global Conference. The event brings together a wide range of talented IP professionals and I'm looking forward to a robust discussion of the legal, policy and strategic IP issues impacting businesses."

Bill James, CPA Global's Director for Software, added: "We are delighted that Deputy Director Barner will be joining us at this year's conference. Her valuable experience in leading the USPTO and the IP industry in general will provide delegates with an in-depth insight into developing firm strategies that deal with current and future issues affecting their IP portfolios."

Now in its 11th year, the CPA Global Conference provides IP professionals from some of the United States' best known law firms and corporations with unparalleled professional development prospects, including cutting-edge industry thought leadership sessions, opportunities to benchmark work and in-depth IP management software training from CPA Global's expert consultants.

Development of the conference program has benefited from the experience and expertise of a senior advisory board of IP professionals from prominent companies and law across the US.

    Key features of the 2010 conference include:

    - Software best practise sessions - looking at how leading organizations
      have taken on new business processes and have used software to
      streamline their workflow

    - Software Lab - this facility offers participants one-on-one
      time with CPA Global support staff and our in-house consultants

    - Comprehensive training sessions addressing all levels of
      software users

About CPA Global

CPA Global is the world's leading provider of IP management and legal services outsourcing, including patent and trademark renewal services, document review, transaction support, contract solutions, and legal research. With offices across Europe, the United States, Asia and the Pacific, CPA Global supports many of the world's best known corporations and law firms with a diverse set of legal and IP specific services.

CPA Global helps its clients manage their valuable IP assets, such as patents, designs and trademarks, ensuring that their IP portfolios are protected, maintained and regularly reviewed in order to maximize value. Founded in Jersey, Channel Islands in 1969, CPA Global today employs more than 1,500 people in 13 offices in eight countries, serving clients' needs in over 100 countries. CPA Global has offices in key locations such as London, Paris, Munich, Washington DC, Sydney, Hong Kong and New Delhi; and has strategic partnerships covering Japan, Korea and other markets.

    For further information visit: http://www.cpaglobal.com.

    Media Contacts

    US: Julie Mandell +1(571)227-7025, [email protected]

    UK: Steve Clark +44(0)20-7549-5504, [email protected]

    Rob Coveney +44(0)20-7549-5505, [email protected]

SOURCE CPA Global