Pierce Law to Host U.S. State Department Delegation of Global Leaders Participating in IP Rights Visitors Program

Franklin Pierce Law Center will host a delegation of government officials, business leaders, attorneys and judges from 25 countries on Wednesday, February 6, during their visit to the United States. Made possible through the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the International Visitor Leadership Program offers participants an opportunity to examine intellectual property rights (IPR) in the United States, and the role and responsibility of the international public and private sectors in implementing and enforcing higher intellectual property standards.

Visiting international delegates represent Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peoples Republic of China, Poland, Romania, Syria, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda.

In addition to discussing IPR, Pierce Law faculty will distribute and discuss IP capacity building tools and strategies as outlined in the Executive Guide to IP Management in Health and Agriculture Innovation: A Handbook of Best Practices, recently co-published by the Public Intellectual Property Resources for Agriculture (PIPRA) and the Centre For Management of Intellectual Property in Health Research and Development (MIHR). Several Pierce Law faculty and alumni authored chapters in the Handbook. They include Professor Karl F. Jorda and Visiting Professor Karen Hersey, and alumni Dr. Stanley Kowalski (JD '05), scholar in residence at Pierce Law, Ann McCrackin (JD '97) of Orono, MN, Hua Guo (MIP '06) of Shanghai, China, and Suzanne Somersalo (MIP '02) of Silver Spring, MD.

The 2000-page Handbook features tools, strategies and case studies encompassing
innovation in health and agriculture to meet the needs of populations in developing countries. Sponsorship by the Rockefeller Foundation and other organizations will allow for free distribution to institutions in low-income countries.