DMZ Customer Catalyst: IP and Profitability

Ben Hackett and Jordan Scopa of Goodmans LLP will discuss IP issues to consider when starting a business or joint venture.  In particular, they will address how a well-organized IP portfolio will impact profitability or value for sale later in the life of a venture and how being mindful of IP rights (including the freedom to operate) early on will allow your venture to avoid unfortunate and unforeseen interruptions in revenue streams and will allow you to maintain a consistent strategic direction.  To lay a foundation for this discussion, Ben and Jordan will explain the primary sources of IP protection for valuable technologies (trade secrets, patents, copyright and trademarks).  They will then explain the steps that need to be taken to ensure that a young business does not lose the ability to use these particular forms of IP protection, including best practices for employment contracts and non-disclosure agreements.

About the speakers

Ben Hackett

Ben is a partner in the Litigation Group at Goodmans.  He practices commercial litigation, with an emphasis on intellectual property litigation. Ben has been counsel on a number of significant cases involving patent validity and infringement, damages and profits quantification and recovery under section 8 of thePatented Medicines (NOC) Regulations.  Ben has also acted as counsel on actions before the Federal Court seeking recovery under the Competition Act.  He appears regularly at the trial and appeal levels of the Federal Courts and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada.  Ben is a lecturer in the Intellectual Property in Health Law course in the Professional LLM program at Osgoode Hall Law School and is an Adjunct Professor teaching Patent Law at Queens Law School.

Jordan Scopa

Jordan is a partner in the Litigation Group at Goodmans.  He practises commercial litigation, with an emphasis on intellectual property disputes.  He also advises clients regarding the licensing of intellectual property and technology.  Jordan has been counsel on a number of significant cases involving patent validity and infringement.  He has also been counsel on the leading cases involving the assessment and quantification of damages, both for patent infringement and pursuant to section 8 of the Patented Medicines (NOC) Regulations.  He appears regularly before the Federal Court.  Jordan is also a lecturer in the Intellectual Property in Health Law course in the Professional LLM program at Osgoode Hall Law School.