The Colloquium held over two days in Rome, following the FICPI Sixth Open Forum in November, was attended by some sixty delegates including the Heads of the major Patent Offices and leading IP organisations. In closing the Colloquium, FICPI President, Malcolm Royal explained that it had not been the intention to reach outcomes but rather to look at details of the problem and consider possible solutions particularly taking into account the needs of the users and third parties. The basic requirement common to all was:

Certainty; and
Quality.

He asked all concerned in making future decisions that would affect changes to the patent system to take into account the views that had been expressed. To put short term interest aside in favour of long term solutions that would meet the needs of those who use the system. "We may be none the wiser after the Colloquium but at least we are better informed", he said.

Those who addressed the Colloquium included:

• the Honourable Howard Coble, Chair of the Judiciary Sub-Committee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property of the US House of Representatives
• President Ingo Kober of EPO
• Mr Nicholas Godici, Acting Commissioner of USPTO
• Mr Charles Baker, Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the ABA
• Mr Ron Myrick, President of the Intellectual Property Owners Association and President Elect of AIPLA, and
• Mr Walter Holzer, President of the EPI.

The various presentations will be posted on the FICPI web page and a full report will be given in a later edition of FICPI Information.

This FICPI initiative was fully supported by AIPLA and thanks go to Mike Kirk and his team.