Registration & Meeting Information

Tuition includes admission to the program, beverage breaks, two receptions, and one set of program materials on CD-ROM.

Early Registration
Register online, or complete the form in the brochure and mail to:

20th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference
Section of Intellectual Property Law
American Bar Association
321 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL  60610.

If paying by credit card, you may also fax your form to 312/988-6800. ABA members are strongly encouraged to use the online registration system.

The deadline for receipt of early registration, at the earlybird rate is Wednesday, March 30, 2005. Registration will only be accepted when accompanied by a credit card number (Visa, MasterCard or American Express only), check, money order, or government purchase order or training form. No registration can be held without payment.

Onsite Registration
Registration will be available onsite from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 13. A special Chili Reception will be held in conjunction with the early check-in. All registrants are invited to check-in early and enjoy this special event. Sample a variety of mouth-watering chilis and enjoy other refreshments.

Registration will also be available beginning at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, April 14. A busy morning registration rush is anticipated on Thursday morning, April 14, so check-in on Wednesday, April 13 is encouraged.

Onsite registrations will be accepted only when accompanied by a credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express only), check, money order, or government purchase order or training form. Late registration fees will be in effect for onsite registrations.

Registration Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be sent via e-mail in advance of the program for all registrations received prior to March 30. If using the printed registration form, indicate on the registration form if you would prefer to receive confirmation via fax or U.S. mail.

Cancellation Policy
Registrants who are unable to attend the conference will receive a refund less a $50 administrative fee if a written cancellation is received by March 30, 2005. Cancellation requests should be faxed to 312/988-6800. No refunds will be granted after March 30, 2005. Substitutions are acceptable. The ABA reserves the right to cancel any program and assumes no responsibility for personal expenses.

CLE Credit
CLE accreditation will be requested for this Conference from every state with mandatory continuing education requirements for lawyers. Please be aware that each state has its own rules and regulations, including its definition of "CLE". Check with your state agency for confirmation of this program's approval. Attendees requesting credit for the program must sign the attendance roster onsite at the program. New York attorneys must sign in and sign out each time they enter or leave the program room, and complete the special New York certificate of attendance at the end of each program and have it signed by ABA authorized personnel.

You may contact the ABA Service Center toll free at 800/285-2221 or the program coordinator at 312/988-5598 within two weeks of the start of the program for confirmation of the number of CLE credit hours requested by the ABA or credit approved by any particular state.

Teleconference CLE Credit Available
For those unable to attend the 20th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference in person, selected sessions will be made available via live teleconference. Teleconference sessions this year include

1) The Patent System in Transition– Lots of Moving Parts
2) Fair Use and Initial Interest Confusion: Key Issues for the Future
3) Liabilities on the Internet:Congress Grapples with P2P Technology.

See the program schedule for the day, time and topic information. Registrants for teleconference sessions will be eligible for CLE credit in those states that allow for teleconference credit. Instructions on downloading course materials and dialing in to the program will be provided in a confirmation letter upon registration.

Course Materials available on CD-ROM
Course materials are produced in CD-ROM format and made available for pickup at the conference. A limited number of printed course material sets will be available for an additional fee to those who request this in advance on the registration form. Materials will also be posted on the Section website, available for viewing by conference registrants in advance of the conference.

Location and Lodging
The 20th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia. The ABA group rate is $179.00 single/double occupancy. All rooms are subject to a 9.75% Virginia State Sales Tax. To reserve a room, call the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel directly at 800/228-9290 or 703/920-3230. Be sure to mention the ABA 2005 Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference to receive the special group rate. Note: The cutoff date for the room block is Monday, March 21, 2005. But do not wait until the March 21 cutoff date, as the room block fills up quickly. After this date, reservations can be made on a space-available basis only. The ABA will not be able to secure a room for you.

Transportation
You are encouraged to make your airline reservations on the ABA Online Travel site where you automatically receive ABA airfare discounts from a variety of carriers. ABA Online Travel can be accessed from the navigation bar on the left of the ABA web site home page, http://www.abanet.org/. Click on “Member Tools”, under the “Lawyer Resources” heading. Reservations can also be made with the ABA travel agent, Carla Sutton, who also can automatically provide ABA airfare discounts. She can be contacted via email, carla.sutton@towertravel.com or by direct phone number at 312/988-5862.

ABA Discounted Meeting Airfares are available through your travel agent or directly from the airline. You may call your travel agent or the airlines directly and refer to the appropriate account number:

American Airlines, 800/433-1790, ABA Code: 16666
Delta Air Lines, 800/241-6760, ABA Code: 189419A
US Airways, 877/874-7687, ABA Code: 36632473

For more information, contact Tower Travel Management, the official ABA travel agent, at 800/921-9190.

Special Tuition Assistance
A limited number of registration fee-reductions are available for government employees, academics, law students, and public interest lawyers employed with non-profit organizations. No full tuition waivers are available. The fee-reductions will be determined on a one-time only, case-by-case, first-come first-serve basis. To apply, send a letter outlining the basis for your request of a fee-reduction to Betsi Roach, Section Director, ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law, 321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610. Deadline for receipt: March 14, 2005. No cases will be considered after the deadline, and all standard registration fee rates will apply after March 14, 2005.