A must attend for anyone interested in the commercialisation and licensing requirements of intellectual property will be the  2010 Licensing Executive Society International Conference (LESI Conference) to be held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 11 to 14 April 2010. Delegates from numerous countries will attend the event where discussions will centre around the theme of collaborative innovation “Role and Impact of Emerging Economies”.

A wide range of topics will be covered by esteemed speakers from around the globe. Some of the topics related to intellectual property which will be discussed at the LESI Conference 2010 are briefly introduced below.

Mr Gill, a senior UK and European Trade Attorney and FIFA Legal Advisor will tackle the topic of collaborative licensing opportunities in major events and the FIFA 2010 World Cup Soccer.

Mr Rob McInnis from Sydney, Australia based Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers will lead the all important discussion about publicly funded research and will share the Australian experience with delegates.

Prof Alan Fenwick, who is a Professor of Tropical Parasitology at the Imperial College in London, will address an industry specific topic which medical professionals and researchers will appreciate. He will lead the discussion about the future of drug development that is relevant for the curing or treatment of diseases in developing countries.

Another topic that will come under the spotlight is that of how collaborative innovation will influence intellectual property and the future trends.

The topic will be discussed by Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who is the Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva.