McAndrews Shareholder Christopher V. Carani Invited to Speak at Design Law 2014 on Cutting-Edge Design-Related Topic
11.20.14
McAndrews shareholder Christopher V. Carani, Esq., has been invited to speak at Design Law 2014 in Washington, D.C., on November 21, 2014. Taking place at the George Washington University School of Law, the program will present and foster debate on cutting-edge design-related topics. Although the program will be directed toward an audience of design practice leaders, it is anticipated that people with an interest in design will also be in attendance.
Mr. Carani, who is recognized internationally as a leading authority in the field of design law, will participate on the panel on “Prior Art.” In recent years, the America Invents Act has widened the field of prior art available to invalidate patents. Technological advances have also made the creation and publication of prior art, including prophetic prior art like mock-ups of existing designs, more common. In conjunction with three other panelists, Mr. Carani will address the challenges these developments have created, as well as the application of prior art in infringement litigation post Egyptian Goddess.
Other participants of the Prior Art panel include Mark A. Charles (The Procter & Gamble Company), Elizabeth D. Ferrill (Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP), and Brian E. Hanlon (United States Patent and Trademark Office). Jason Du Mont (The Center for Intellectual Property Research at the Maurer School of Law) will serve as the moderator.
Design Law 2014 is sponsored by George Washington University Law School, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Banner & Witcoff, Ltd., and Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.
Additional information, including registration details and the full schedule, can be found here: www.designlaw2014.com
Christopher V. Carani, Esq., counsels clients on a wide range of strategic design protection and enforcement issues. He is the immediate past Chair of the American Bar Association’s Design Rights Committee, and the past chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Committee on Industrial Designs. He has litigated numerous disputes regarding design rights and has served as a legal consultant and expert witness in design law cases in a wide range of industries, including consumer electronics and accessories, consumer retail products, furniture, medical devices, apparel, footwear, and sporting goods, to name a few. In addition, Carani has authored amicus briefs for landmark U.S. design patent cases, such as Egyptian Goddess v. Swisa, Lawman Armor Corp. v. Winner Int’l LLC, Calmar, Inc. v. Arminak & Assoc. and Richardson v. Stanley Works, Inc.
Carani earned an engineering degree from Marquette University and a law degree from the University of Chicago, and went on to serve as a law clerk to the Honorable Rebecca Pallmeyer at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is a registered patent attorney and licensed to practice before the USPTO.
Carani is a frequent contributor to CNN on intellectual property law issues, and is often called upon to provide commentary to other major media outlets, including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, NPR, PBS TV, CNBC TV, BBC, Bloomberg TV, and Reuters. Away from the law, Chris is a studied jazz musician who plays upright bass on the Chicago jazz circuit.
Follow Carani (@ccarani) on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccarani.