As European SEP regulation stalls, attention is shifting to what might follow. This session explores how evolving regulatory frameworks—such as changes to the EU’s technology transfer block exemption regulation—may affect global litigation strategy and licensing behaviour. Examine how these developments could shape the conduct of patent pools, the obligations of platform companies, and the balance of power between patent holders and implementers.

• Understand how proposed regulatory tightening could affect litigation dynamics and the behaviour of both implementers and SEP holders.

• Explore expectations around transparency, essentiality checks, and the role of patent pools like Sisvel and Avanci.

Assess the potential interplay between future SEP regulation, antitrust enforcement, and the evolving responsibilities of platform companies in global licensing negotiations.

In fast-evolving technology fields such as IoT, automotive, medical devices, and telecommunications, patent validity remains a cornerstone issue in litigation and portfolio management. This session will explore the latest trends, challenges, and best practices for assessing and defending patent validity in these dynamic sectors. Expert panelists will discuss how to navigate evolving prior art landscapes, patent office practices, and validity challenges to strengthen patent portfolios and support successful enforcement strategies.

• Examine key grounds for challenging patent validity in high-tech industries, including novelty, inventive step, and sufficiency of disclosure

• Discuss recent case law and patent office developments impacting validity assessments in Europe and the USA

• Explore strategic approaches to managing validity risk during patent prosecution, portfolio audits, and litigation

This session explores the evolving role of non-practicing entities NPEs), defensive patent aggregators, and LNGs (Licensing Negotiation Groups) in shaping global SEP and FRAND litigation dynamics. Panelists will discuss how these actors influence licensing strategies, litigation risks, and regulatory frameworks across jurisdictions. Attendees will gain insight into the strategic approaches employed by both implementers and patent holders, the impact of collective licensing initiatives, and ongoing efforts to mitigate patent assertion risks.

• Examine how and if LNGs help smaller implementers navigate antitrust rules and negotiate better SEP license terms, especially in emerging IoT markets.

• Discuss the strategies used by defensive patent aggregators to challenge questionable patents and reduce litigation exposure for their members.

• Understand the latest trends in NPE litigation, including monitoring, patent acquisition strategies, and efforts to address injunction threats in key jurisdictions such as Germany and the USA.

Judges from leading patent jurisdictions come together to share their perspectives on FRAND royalty rate determination and core technology related patent litigation questions. This forum offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from those shaping the legal landscape around standard-essential patents, licensing disputes, and evolving enforcement trends. The panel will explore practical challenges, judicial approaches, and insights into how courts are balancing innovation incentives with fair competition.

As European courts see increased trade secret enforcement activity, particularly in industries like semiconductors, AI, and automotive, the strategic interplay between patent and trade secret protection is evolving. This session will explore the practical and legal considerations that drive trade secret litigation, and how these disputes intersect with patent strategies, particularly in cross-border contexts. Panellists will discuss how European companies are learning from U.S. trade secret practice and how this is shaping enforcement choices, litigation posture, and IP portfolio structuring.

• Examine key differences in procedural tools and evidentiary requirements for trade secret litigation across Europe and the U.S.

• Explore how businesses decide between trade secret protection and patenting in fast-moving sectors like AI, mobility and software.

• Discuss coordination of parallel patent and trade secret disputes, including cross-border enforcement challenges and forum selection strategies.

Patent quality remains a critical concern for technology and innovation-driven industries such as IoT, automotive, telecommunications, and medical devices. This session will examine how differing definitions and expectations of quality are shaping global enforcement strategies and IP value. Panellists will explore the role of major patent offices and courts – including the EPO, UPC and PTAB – and discuss how perceptions of patent strength affect licensing leverage, competitive positioning and dispute outcomes across jurisdictions. Expect a comparative and commercially grounded discussion on how businesses are adapting their portfolios and legal strategies in response.

• Compare approaches to patent quality and examination at the EPO, USPTO and other key offices.

• Discuss the relationship between patent quality and litigation outcomes in major venues including the UPC and PTAB.

• Explore how companies in tech and innovation sectors are shaping their portfolios to maximise commercial and legal advantage.