Judges from leading patent jurisdictions come together to share their perspectives on FRAND royalty rate determination and core technology related patent litigation questions. This forum offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from those shaping the legal landscape around standard-essential patents, licensing disputes, and evolving enforcement trends. The panel will explore practical challenges, judicial approaches, and insights into how courts are balancing innovation incentives with fair competition.
Volker Politz
CSO
Semidynamics
Volker Politz is the Chief Sales officer at Semidynamics, responsible for all IP sales and business development activities as well as product marketing. Prior to this, he was VP sales at Roviero, held EU Sales and Global Auto Business management positions in Verisilicon and worked as IP sales manager in Synopsys Europe. He was Vice President of Product and Segment Marketing at Imagination Technologies. He is an international marketing, business development and management executive with over 30 years’ experience in semiconductor and technology companies. He also held roles and responsibilities in Europe, Asia and the United States with experience built from engineering, marketing, sales, and general management positions at Hitachi and Renesas. He has broad know-how in vertical domains such as digital multimedia, broadcast technologies, automotive, industrial, mobile, security and AI. Volker holds a Masters engineering degree in communication electronics from Fachhochschule Konstanz, Germany and an MBA from Open University, United Kingdom.
As European courts see increased trade secret enforcement activity, particularly in industries like semiconductors, AI, and automotive, the strategic interplay between patent and trade secret protection is evolving. This session will explore the practical and legal considerations that drive trade secret litigation, and how these disputes intersect with patent strategies, particularly in cross-border contexts. Panellists will discuss how European companies are learning from U.S. trade secret practice and how this is shaping enforcement choices, litigation posture, and IP portfolio structuring.
• Examine key differences in procedural tools and evidentiary requirements for trade secret litigation across Europe and the U.S.
• Explore how businesses decide between trade secret protection and patenting in fast-moving sectors like AI, mobility and software.
• Discuss coordination of parallel patent and trade secret disputes, including cross-border enforcement challenges and forum selection strategies.
Patent quality remains a critical concern for technology and innovation-driven industries such as IoT, automotive, telecommunications, and medical devices. This session will examine how differing definitions and expectations of quality are shaping global enforcement strategies and IP value. Panellists will explore the role of major patent offices and courts – including the EPO, UPC and PTAB – and discuss how perceptions of patent strength affect licensing leverage, competitive positioning and dispute outcomes across jurisdictions. Expect a comparative and commercially grounded discussion on how businesses are adapting their portfolios and legal strategies in response.
• Compare approaches to patent quality and examination at the EPO, USPTO and other key offices.
• Discuss the relationship between patent quality and litigation outcomes in major venues including the UPC and PTAB.
• Explore how companies in tech and innovation sectors are shaping their portfolios to maximise commercial and legal advantage.
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SEP Showdowns in Brazil and Colombia Shift Global Strategy
The Long Arm Reach of the UPC
Navigating AI in U.S. IP Litigation
Interim Relief and Damages within Indian Patent Litigation
Turning Litigation into Leverage in SEP Disputes