On May 21, 2010 Moscow hosted Intellectual Property in Real Business, the first training conference organized by the Russian Technology Exchange under the auspices of the Intellection Property Committee at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Irina Stepanova, a senior lawyer and head of the intellectual property practice at EPAM, has spoken to the audience.

The purpose of the conference, which was held in Russia for the first time, was to share experience in using intellectual property in real business.

Consultants from leading law firms and in-house lawyers of major producers discussed various aspects of legal practice regarding industry-related intellectual and intangible property.

The issues discussed included commercialization of technologies using voice synthesis as an example; issues of computer projects accounting and assessment; registration of industrial IPs transferred under franchising agreements; protection of industrial know-how using food industry formulae and instructions as an example; commercial privilege and know-how policies; know-how deals; patent manipulation; patenting computer algorithms in Russia; harmful consequences of Russian patents for international patenting etc.

The audience included executives and managers of technology companies, chiefs of development teams, venture fund experts, experts in industrial intellectual property, lawyers and economists from technology companies. The conference is going to become a central event called to deal with pressing intellectual property matters in Russia's innovative economy.

Irina Stepanova, a senior lawyer and head of the intellectual property practice at EPAM, delivered a report on Protection of Know-How Rights Transferred under License Agreements and Otherwise.