Open Innovation and Intellectual Property: an International Conference

NESTA, the Wellcome Trust and the Creative Commons are jointly hosting a conference on open innovation and intellectual property in London, UK, on 15 May. The conference is free, but registration is required.

The conference will explore whether and how Commons tools can unlock innovation by making it easier for artists, scientists, researchers and businesses to share, collaborate and build on the work of others.

Much innovation today, say the event organisers is hampered by a lack of access to existing data, content and facilities. In sectors such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, a lack of openness leads to duplication of existing research activities and significant effort down blind allies. In the creative industries, the absence of simple, standardised licensing arrangements which establish usage rights is arguably holding back innovative online business models. Yet it is the sectors such as biotechnology and the creative industries which are otherwise best placed to lead the UK out of recession.

James Boyle and John Wilbanks will give respective keynote speeches on the Creative Commons and Science Commons as we explore the impact of the Commons to date, and debate its strengths and weaknesses as a model for supporting innovation.

This will be followed by two parallel sessions – “Commons models and IP in healthcare” and “Commons models in the creative industries” to give an opportunity to explore the implications of the creative industries and the science/healthcare sectors.

Other contributors include Nobel prizewinner Sir John Sulston, Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation; Tony Wood, Pfizer; Iain Wilcocks, the UK Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property; and Richard Mollet, British Phonographic  Industry.