Igniting Legal Excellence in the Cannabis Industrysm

Global Cannabis Intellectual Property Symposium 2023

September 28-29 | Montreal, Canada
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Thank you to our host:


All sessions from the INCBA Global Cannabis Intellectual Property Symposium 2023 are now available on-demand!

~25 Speakers

The #GCIP2023 roster is packed with the brightest minds in cannabis law from around the world, including:

  • USA

  • Europe

  • Canada

  • Latin America

8 Sessions / 7.25 CLE in US

Inform your legal practice with 7.25 hours of CLE sessions (6.25hrs General + 1hr Ethics) that speak to key industry issues including:

  • International Treaties

  • Global Protection of Cannabis Brands

  • Cannabis Patents and Plant Variety Rights

  • Global Overview of Managing Cannabis Conflicts

Canada Continuous Professional Development Credit

Attendees may receive continuing education credit in the following jurisdictions:

  • British Columbia: Approved for up to 8.25 hours

  • Ontario: Ethics panel on September 29 accredited for 1 hour of ethics/professionalism/practice management; remainder of symposium eligible for up to 7.25 hours of substantive credit

  • Quebec: Application for approval pending

Networking Events

Network with your colleagues at lively social gatherings: Happy Hour, Sponsored Breakfast and Roundtable/Workshops.

  • 4:20PM, Thursday, September 28 Happy Hour

  • 12:20PM, Friday, September 29 Roundtables

Featured Speakers

About

Global Cannabis IP Symposium 2023

Product innovation, the science behind health and wellness, technology, design, and branding. Intellectual property drives the cannabis sector and the various legal frameworks within the world of intellectual property are the backbone of law and business in the cannabis sector.The cannabis sector is unique, where use of IP is a primary route to global expansion. But the application of laws and regulations can be challenging because of the shifting and diverse legalization regimes for cannabis (both marijuana and hemp) around the world. The International Cannabis Bar Association ( INCBA), through the inaugural Global Cannabis IP Symposium, provides IP practitioners with a chance to deep dive on various intellectual property legal issues with experts who have been practicing in this highly regulated field for years.Join us for this groundbreaking, two-day event that will add to your understanding of the issues surrounding cannabis IP protection and give you a chance to share your perspective. Explore the plant. Learn about creative approaches to IP licensing. Get briefed on international treaties and the resulting challenges and opportunities. Discuss ethics issues unique to practicing cannabis law. Listen to in-house counsel speak about what is important from a business perspective. And of course, focus on patents, trademarks, IP licensing, and dispute resolution!


Agenda At-A-Glance

September 28th

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4)

  • 9:30am-10:00am Introductions

  • 10:00am-11:15am In-House Counsel Round-Up: In-house counsel discuss intellectual property issues including how to develop, grow, and manage an IP portfolio and issues surrounding litigation and other disputes. Counsel will also address what it’s like managing budgets, being responsible for brand growth and protection at the same time.

  • 11:20am-12:20pm It All Starts With the Plant: Experts in plant science provide key facts and insights into the remarkable plant on which the cannabis industry and cannabis law are based. Learn enough about cannabis biology, chemistry, and cultivation to level-up your understanding of the plant your clients work with.

  • 1:30pm-2:45pm International Treaties: Budding Opportunities with Cannabis Intellectual Property. Review relevant treaties with a focus on the UN single convention and its impact on cannabis, including the Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, the Marrakesh Agreement, The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, & the Lisbon Treaty for the Protection of Appellations of Origin.

  • 3:00pm-4:15pm Expand Your Toolbox: Creative Approaches to IP Licensing, Protection, and Exclusivity. Building and leveraging non-traditional barriers to entry when traditional IP doesn't work. Local registrations. Crafting enforceable contract-based protections. Leveraging criminal law to protect your IP.Drafting effective licensing agreements for your cannabis IP. Licensing patents, trademarks, trade secrets and know-how all in one license. Avoiding franchise. Risk management, indemnification, and how to handle exposure in IP contracts.

  • 4:20pm-7:00pm Happy Hour!


September 29th

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4)

  • 9:30am-10:45am Global Protection of Cannabis Brands - Is it Possible? Hear global perspectives on strategies and challenges facing cannabis companies in protecting cannabis brands that recognize the varying regulatory laws and requirements in jurisdictions around the globe. Discuss how courts address consumer confusion between trademarks for cannabis and non-cannabis products and services.

  • 10:55am-12:10pm Cannabis Patents and Plant Variety Rights – Things to Know and Challenges Unique to the Cannabis Industry. Discuss industry-unique challenges for cannabis patents, beginning with an overview of patentable subject matter in the cannabis industry and the availability of patent protection for cannabis-related inventions. The session will provide an overview of plant protections, including plant patents and plant variety protection.

  • 1:30pm-2:30pm Ethics: Balancing Activism and Zealous Advocacy with the Boundaries of the Profession and Evolving Law. Consider the unlicensed practice of law focusing on cross-border expansion, taking contradictory legal positions in different matters for different clients, the duty of candor to administrative bodies, and making arguments that are in the best interest of the client, but against the interest of the industry.

  • 2:45pm-4:00pm IP Litigation and Administrative Proceedings: A Global Overview of Managing Cannabis Conflicts. Dispute resolution in a global context needs to consider many factors, such as the remedies and awards that can be granted and the availability of administrative proceedings, such as oppositions, cancellations, impeachments, and protests. Hear strategies and lessons learned firsthand.


Annual Sponsors


Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Venue & Hotels

McGill University | New Residence Hall

3625 Park Ave, Montreal, Quebec H2X 3P8, Canada

Omni Mont-Royal

1050 Sherbrooke Street West,
Montreal, Quebec H3A-2R6, Canada

Click to Call: 1-514-284-1110

Instructions: Please call the hotel and mention the INCBA room block before block pricing ends September 13th, 2023 and must be guaranteed by a valid credit card. Guaranteed reservations not canceled 7 days prior to arrival will be subject to a cancellation fee. To book online: Click Here

  • Single, Double, and Triple occupancy rooms available.

  • Rates from $279-$329

  • To guarantee your reservation, a deposit of one night and non-refundable taxes will be taken 7 days before your arrival.

  • View rules and restrictions


Hôtel Le Cantlie Suites

1110 Sherbrooke St W,
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1G8, Canada

Click to call:
1-514-844-3951

Instructions: Hotel Cantlie rooms are first-come-first-served (block not available). For preferred pricing, reach out to one of the three contacts listed below, M-F 9a-5p, and simply mention INCBA.

Le St-Martin Hôtel Particulier Centre-ville

980 Boul. de Maisonneuve Ouest,
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1M5, Canada

Click to Call or Email:
1-877-843-3003 | Email

Instructions: Guest should mention the INCBA– September 2023 group rate, and provide a valid credit card number for guarantee purposes. To book online: Click Here and use online group code: INCBA23

  • Five different rooms available, all with King beds.

  • Rates from $309-$369

  • Rates include complimentary: local calls, European Buffet Breakfast, WIFI access, and access to our outdoor heated pool and 24h fitness center.

  • View rules and restrictions





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2023 Global Cannabis IP Symposium Program


Global Cannabis IP Symposium
Course Materials

INSTRUCTIONS: Course materials are organized into folders for each session. Click to view/print/download.