The digital economy relies on information communication technology (ICT) standards to meet consumers’ demand for interoperability, connectivity and innovation. The diffusion of global standards such as 5G, Wi-Fi 6 and HEVC drives economic growth and prosperity by enabling the Internet of Things and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
However, as ICT standards become general-purpose technologies, tensions arise regarding licensing patents declared as essential for their implementation (i.e., standard-essential patents, SEPs). Under the Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) licensing commitments before standard-development organisations (SDOs), SEP-holders seek remuneration from SEP implementers, which these latter sometimes resist.
Against this background, the Florence Seminar on SEPs welcomes unpublished papers from lawyers and economists on the licensing and litigation of SEPs. The selected contributions will be discussed in-depth during the two-day Seminar, emphasising the societal impact of the research findings.
Post-seminar publication
The organisers have reached an agreement with M&CLR – Market and Competition Law Review and IIC – International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law. Speakers accepted to the Florence Seminar on SEPs are invited to submit their final papers for publication by 31 December 2022. Acceptance will depend on the successful completion of the M&CLR and IIC peer-review process. The organisers of the seminar, M&CLR and IIC will collaborate to shorten the period this process will take.
Submission process
Please submit extended abstracts or full papers by 19 June 2022. Acceptance notifications will be sent by the end of June 2022. Final paper versions of the selected submissions are due by 18 September 2022.