• Private seminars for corporations
• Private seminars for law firms
• Attending a public seminar

Learn everything about the Patent Cooperation Treaty in a unique small-group setting. Taught by Carl Oppedahl, this intensive seminar is limited to a small number of participants. Depending on the setting, the seminar may for example be limited to ten persons or twelve persons.

The goals of the seminar. A chief goal of the seminar is to review thoroughly all of the various filing sequences which might be used to pursue US patent coverage as well as foreign patent coverage. Each filing sequence (PCT first, PCT later, or not using PCT at all) has advantages and disadvantages. An applicant that has followed a particular filing sequence in the past may find that some other filing sequence serves the applicant's needs better in the future. Track I and PPH and PCT-PPH all have advantages and disadvantages. It is a goal of the seminar that by the conclusion of the seminar, each attendee will feel confident in helping applicants decide which filing sequence to use.

The faculty. Your professor is Carl Oppedahl, a partner in Oppedahl Patent Law Firm LLC ("OPLF"). Carl previously served as the chair of the AIPLA PCT Issues Committee and is now a member of the Board of Directors of AIPLA. He has spent more than twenty years writing and prosecuting patent applications for clients. He serves as an adjunct professor at University of Denver law school, teaching Advanced Patent Law. Carl's firm sponsors the PCT-L listserv, an email discussion group for users of the PCT with hundreds of members in the US and in other countries.

Here's what some attendees had to say about this advanced PCT seminar when it took place April 4-5, 2013:

• "Professor Oppedahl has the magic to make the dry PCT rules alive for you to enjoy."
• "This was the best value I've experienced in a legal seminar. The amount of relevant material for the time spent was tremendous. Carl's presentation style was perfect for facilitating discussions, and the small group of attendees made for a collegial atmosphere that made it comfortable to participate."
• "I liked the whole seminar; Carl is very engaging; good instructor!"
• "The seminar was very worthwhile. There was a good mix of lecture and open discussion with the attendees on the advanced topics."

The program. Here is a typical syllabus. Note that the sequence and timing of topics is subject to change, particularly to accommodate the interests of attendees during the seminar.

Private seminars for corporations

A customized seminar, generally two days in length, can be held on-site for a patent department of a corporation. One typical goal for such a seminar is to permit the corporation to consider the many different strategies that might be employed for foreign filings, with or without use of the PCT. Other typical goals for such a seminar include identifying best practices for management of outside counsel and foreign counsel, including the use of ePCT and shared customer numbers. The corporation may wish to consider how PCT-PPH may reduce the average number of office actions in US cases (which saves prosecution cost) and how PCT-PPH and other approaches such as Track I may lead to faster patent grants.

Prof. Oppedahl will maintain in confidence what is said during the seminar. It is intended, however, that such a corporation will not become a client of OPLF by virtue of conducting this seminar.

If you would like to explore the possibility of arranging an on-site advanced PCT seminar for your corporation, give OPLF a call at +1-303-252-8800.

Private seminars for law firms

A customized seminar, generally two days in length, can be held on-site for a patent firm or for the patent department of a general-practice firm. A typical goal is to bring every attorney in the firm completely up to date on new foreign filing strategies while refreshing knowledge of legacy foreign filing strategies; one such strategy which might be ideal for one client while another strategy might be ideal for a different client.

Prof. Oppedahl will maintain in confidence what is said during the seminar. It is intended, however, that such a firm will not become a client of OPLF by virtue of conducting this seminar, and clients of such a firm will not become clients of OPLF by virtue of conducting this seminar.

If you would like to explore the possibility of arranging an on-site advanced PCT seminar for your firm, give OPLF a call at +1-303-252-8800.

Attending a public seminar

Such an advanced PCT seminar, open to the public, took place on April 4-5, 2013. Quoted above are comments from some of the participants.

If you attend such an advanced PCT seminar, you will have a learning experience like no other. The very small student-teacher ratio will let you ask follow-up questions freely. The attendees around you will be as stimulating a group as you have ever interacted with in your career. The varied backgrounds of the attendees (maybe some in private practice and others in corporate employ) will permit you to see the PCT not only through the professor's eyes but also through the eyes of others.

We are now making preliminary plans for a next PCT seminar, but we have not yet selected the location. If you have a suggestion as to where we should conduct the next advanced PCT seminar, please complete the suggestion form.

Written materials? Copies of the presentation slides are provided. Because of the free-wheeling nature of the seminar, it is unlikely that the provided written materials will cover every point made during the seminar. You will want to take notes.

Here is more detailed information about the advanced PCT seminars that are open to the public

Who should attend one of the public seminars? Anyone who counsels clients on the strategy and tactics of international patent filing should attend this seminar. This includes in-house patent counsel as well as attorneys and patent agents at private patent firms.

Frequently asked questions:

• I have never written and prosecuted a US patent application. Should I attend this seminar? No, this seminar is very likely not for you.
• I have prosecuted US patent applications but have little or no experience with the PCT. Should I attend this semainr? Maybe you should attend. Be prepared to study in advance and to work very hard during the seminar itself, particularly during the intro session on the morning of the first day. Study WIPO's publication FAQs about the PCT very, very carefully well in advance of the seminar. Take WIPO's free web-based distance learning training course on PCT.
• I have attended a "just the facts" seminar about PCT. Should I attend this seminar? Most seminars on PCT are presented by patent office personnel and/or by patent practitioners who present "just the facts". Such webinars are very helpful in learning how to file PCT applications and how to carry out the steps that follow after the application is filed. Having attended such a seminar, you are probably well prepared to attend this seminar and will probably benefit greatly from it. A very few PCT seminars, particularly the AIPLA PCT Seminars, offer not only "the facts" but also spend time on strategy and tactics with presentations by skilled, experienced patent practitioners. If you have attended one of the AIPLA PCT Seminars and if you absorbed and recall everything that the faculty presented, then you might not need to attend this seminar.
• I have quite a lot of experience with the PCT. Is it workwhile for me to attend? Probably you should attend. The seminar will look at each strategic and tactical aspect of the PCT from many points of view. Likely as not, this seminar will prompt you to revisit something about the PCT that you have always done one way, and to consider doing it a different way.
• I am a patent agent, not a patent attorney. Should this prompt me not to attend? If, as a patent agent, you advise clients on filing strategies and other tactical and strategic choices, then yes you should attend.
• The first-day morning session looks introductory. Can I skip that part? The session on the morning of the first day is intended to run through all of the basics of the PCT process, in an intensive and concentrated three-hour session. If you are absolutely certain that you have a complete and comprehensive grasp of the PCT process, you might consider skipping the intro session. Quite frankly, however, we suggest you attend the intro session regardless. Even if it were to do nothing more than tell you that the things you already knew are true, it would provide a reassurance to you that you really did know all of the basics. During this portion of the seminar, just as with the rest of the seminar, we will constantly explore various ways of looking at the many parts of the PCT. What's more, the "basics" material might get completed before the lunch break in which case we would commence the next materials prior to the lunch break.

What does the public seminar cost? The cost to attend a public seminar is a function in part of the cost of the seminar location. Our guess is that the next advanced PCT seminar will cost around $2500 per person.

CLE? This program has in the past been CLE accredited in Colorado and California for 13 credits. For the public seminars, we provide a Uniform Certificate of Attendance ("UCOA") to each attendee. In the past, attendees have sometimes found that they can get CLE credit in their own state (other than California or Colorado) through their own efforts. We are unable to offer assurances that this will work. In any event if you do receive CLE credit in your state, it will be because you yourself handed in the UCOA and did whatever else your state requires for CLE credit. We will offer an extra-cost fee for efforts of our staff toward getting CLE credit for you in your state, and in the past we have often succeeded at getting CLE credit in a state other than Colorado and California, but we are unable to promise that payment of this fee will obtain a grant of CLE credit in your state.

Will there be wifi Internet acccess in the seminar room? Yes, for the public seminars there will be free wifi Internet access in the seminar room. There will also be electrical power outlets so that you can plug in your notebook computer. Despite this, keep in mind that you are paying quite a lot of money to attend this program. Time that you spend checking email or doing other non-class-related activities will draw your attention away from the work of the seminar. This unique learning opportunity, with its extremely small student-teacher ratio, will offer the greatest benefit if you are able to give nearly your entire attention to it.

Does this seminar include meals? The for the public seminars, the seminar registration includes a simple lunch on the first day and a simple lunch on the second day. It also includes a light continental breakfast each day. Dinner is not included in the seminar registration.

Does this seminar include hotel rooms? The seminar registration fee does not include hotel rooms. Some attendees who live in the geographic area of the seminar may choose to commute to and from the seminar location.

What are the networking opportunities at this seminar? There will be a simple wine and beverage reception immediately after the end of class on the first day. In addition, those who wish to join Professor Oppedahl for dinner on the evening of the first day (Dutch treat) may do so. Here is what Professor Oppedahl says about networking:

As I look back over many years of practice, I realize that nearly every good thing that ever happened to me professionally happened during a coffee break or reception at a professional or educational meeting. Nothing would delight me more than to hear, years from now, that someone attending this seminar had something good happen to them during a social moment at the seminar.

Refund policy. For the public seminars, due to the need for OPLF to be able to plan for the very limited enrollment, no refunds will be available. A paid registration will be transferable to another person if desired. Due to the limited enrollment, the seminar may sell out and there may be a waiting list. In that event, OPLF may be able to facilitate an accommodation between someone on the waiting list and a registrant desiring a refund.

Disclaimer. Please keep in mind that attendance at this seminar does not make you or your corporation or firm a client of Carl Oppedahl or OPLF, nor does it make Prof. Oppedahl or OPLF your lawyer.