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LES BENELUXNEWSLETTEREIGHTEENTH ISSUE - JUNE 1997Dear Members,It was good that LES Benelux, which now has 220 members, provided a comparatively large contingent at the LESI Conference in Cancun, and was well-represented in the International Committee meetings on the days before. During the meeting of International Delegates, and at the conference workshop on 'Biotechnology Licensing and its Strategy', it emerged that there was substantial support for creating an international group with specialised interest, knowledge and experience in the broad field of Biosciences. Whilst the Health Care Products Committee already provides an excellent network for those members who are concerned with the application of biotechnologies to pharmaceuticals and other health care products, there are also other bioscience fields where IPRs and licensing present particular challenges, and where LESI members might make a useful input into debate and discussions; amongst these are seeds and plant varieties, animal genetics, bioinformatics, and genetic resources in the context of biodiversity. Work is in hand in planning a 'biotech add-on' at our LESI conference in Edinburgh next year, using an ad-hoc working group, in liaison with LESI's Industrial Sectors Committee; this group may later develop into a separate LESI committee. If any of you are interested in this area, and prepared to make some small input of your time, please let me know. Another technology area where LES members' advice may be sought, because of specific problems related to IPRs and licensing, is the specialised and fast- growing field of microelectronics and embedded systems. OMI, the Open Micro-processor Systems Initiative forming part of the EU's ESPRIT research programme, has contacted me with a view to identifying LES members with relevant knowledge and experience in this specific field. Any members who are interested and feel them-selves qualified are invited to contact me for further information. I look forward to seeing you at our next Topic Meeting on 10 September, and meanwhile wish you all an enjoyable holiday.
Dennys Watson, President LES Benelux New Members
Ms. Van der Voorde can also be contacted for information on membership of LES Benelux: phone +31 70 3906873, fax +31 70 3909113 or e-mail prsnl@euronet.nl. Meetings LES BeneluxFor the forthcoming meeting of LES Benelux on 10 September 1997 the topic will be "Evaluation of New Technologies: financial aspects". The meeting will be held in Rotterdam at the premises of Nauta Dutilh (Weena Point). Final programme and registration form will be sent to all members in due time. For more information, please contact Bruno Vandermeulen; phone +32 2 7782211; fax +32 2 7632185; e-mail Bruno.Vandermeulen@online.be.In the, unfortunately by grey clouds beset, "Sky Box" at the Haagse Ark in the Hague, the very well attended meeting about "Secure Commerce in Cyberspace" took place on the 14th of May. The four presentations included explanations on protection and examples of lessons to be learned in respect of the commerce in cyberspace. They were lively illustrated with web sites. If you want to receive a copy of the transparancies used by the speakers, please contact Saskia van Dijk-Struyk, fax +31 15 2612403, e-mail vanDijk@cc.tno.nl. Only three years to go before the LES International Conference will be held in Amsterdam (19-25 May 2000 - Hotel Krasnapolsky). The organising committee has made a preliminary time schedule for the organization and the publicity of the conference. For any suggestions, including offers for sponsorship, please contact Ms. Emmy van Oosterom, fax +31 70 3280814, e-mail emmy.oosterom@pi.net. LES EuropeThe European web site (les-europe.org) contains information on all European activities such as the programme for the forthcoming LES European Conference in Montreux (24-27 September), a list with other LES-meetings in Europe, links to the home pages of some of the participating societies (Britain & Ireland, Benelux, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and Switzerland) and links to other sites with (European) licensing activities.LES Switzerland has chosen "Licensing in view of the third millennium" as theme for the 8th LES European Conference. The conference will start on Wednesday 24 September with a welcome reception in the conference centre of the Montreux Palace Hotel. On Thursday and Friday plenary sessions and workshops have been scheduled; the Saturday is reserved for optional all-day excursions for all participants. For more information, please contact Peter Heinrich, phone +41 1 204 1212; fax +41 1 202 7502 or Roland Tschannen, e-mail Roland.Tschannen@pharma.novartis.com. The 9th LES European Conference will be organised by LES Italy and held in the fall of 1999 in Venice. LES Russia and LES Czech Republic will organise a European Conference respectively in 2001 and 2002. LES InternationalAt the International Delegates meeting held in Cancun, Mexico it was announced that Platon Mandros, LES USA & Canada, has been nominated for president-elect 1997/ 1998. Rodney De Boos, LES Australia & New Zealand, will be the international president for that period.At this meeting also the first LES International Annual Report was presented. The report, inspired by Sam Layton and accomplished through a joint effort of the LESI Communications and Publications Committees, provides information on LES in general, reports on activities of local societies and activities of LESI Committees and financial details. It is the intention that each LES member receives this Annual Report together with the June issue of les Nouvelles. The Annual Report Working Group welcomes any remark or suggestion with regard to this report. Please, contact Saskia van Dijk-Struyk, fax +31 15 2612403; e-mail vanDijk@cc.tno.nl. The forthcoming LESI Conference will be organised by LES Britain & Ireland and will take place in Edinburgh, Scotland from 31 May-3 June 1998. The title of the conference is "Major Advances in Inter-national Licensing". NewsSean Fitzpatrick (53) from Ireland has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organization. The Administrative Council, made up of delegations from the eighteen EPO member states, is the Organisation's legislative body. Its main tasks include deciding on the admission of new member states and overseeing the budget of the European Patent Office, the executive body responsible for granting European patents.'New Legislation on Intellectuel Property in the Netherlands' is the title of a summarized overview 1996-1997 made by Ruprecht Hermans, vice-president LES Benelux. For a copy of this paper, please contact Saskia van Dijk-Struyk, fax +31 15 261 24 03; e-mail vanDijk@cc.tno.nl. Meetings Schedule 1997
Next NewsletterDeadline for delivering a contribution to the next newsletter is 31 Augustus 1997 (vanDijk@cc.tno.nl).
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