Home > Resources > Industry Events > Global Standards Leadership Conference About Agenda Speakers Location Videos Registration Boston city view from the roof top of Hotel, Boston, USA, United stages of America Global Standards Leadership Conference Meet the elite of the SEP world at The Boston University Campus June 12, 2025 | 9:00AM – 5:00PM ET SAVE YOUR SPOT Global Standards Leadership Conference The Future of Standard Essential Patents is Here. “Screens with program code moving as in a mainframe. Reporting the similar idea of technology, computers, Internet, data or other subjects.” About Standards Leadership Conference For the fourth consecutive year, the Global Standards Leadership Conference unites thought leaders in wireless technology, global standardization, and standard-essential patents (SEPs). Following successful events at Northwestern University in Chicago (2022), the University of California, San Diego (2023), and the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley (2024), we are excited to announce that the 2025 conference will take place in Boston. This year’s event will feature a dynamic lineup of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and open debates, providing a platform for meaningful dialogue and collaboration among industry experts. Best of all, attendance is free, making this a unique opportunity to gain insights and network with leaders in the field. Agenda The success of standards such as 4G/5G, Wi-Fi or Video Codecs is redefining legal and business frameworks, faces a long journey ahead, navigating geopolitical tensions, global disputes, and local regulations that create significant challenges and uncertainty for both SEP owners and standards implementers.The Global Standards Leadership Conference (GSLC) brings together thought leaders from the realms of intellectual property, standardization, government, and academia. Organized by Tim Pohlmann (Managing Director Americas, LexisNexis IP), Justus Baron (BRELA Research in Economics and Legal Analytics; Northwestern University) and Kirti Gupta (Cornerstone Research and CSIS), the conference aims to bridge the gap between policy, academia, and industry experts. GSLC seeks to foster discussions, debates, and connections among professionals from diverse perspectives, all focused on promoting a world that embraces common standards and drives innovation. Session 1: What is the value of 5G? 5G has often been portrayed as a new technological revolution, which significantly enhances the performance of mobile communication devices and enhances connectivity in new Internet of Things (IoT) verticals such as healthcare, automotive, and smart cities. There have been significant disputes regarding the licensing of 5G SEPs, as there are diverging views on the value that cellular standards constitute. In this context, the value contributions of 5G technology in different use cases are currently controversially debated. This panel will provide a broad overview of the current state of the discussions and evidence of the value that 5G brings to different devices and services. Industry practitioners and researchers will present their experience and insights on the value of 5G technology, encompassing the value creation in both the product and technology (licensing) markets, including, amongst others, value definitions and drivers. They will further provide guidance to practitioners seeking to perform valuations in the context of negotiating 5G SEP licenses. Key topics for discussion include: The value contributions of 5G to products and services.The pricing of 5G SEPs in technology markets.Valuation of standardized technologies in FRAND determinations and the latest FRAND case law.How FRAND determination can follow more objective guidelines Session 2: SEP Disputes Amid Global Tech Competition As global competition intensifies in key technologies like 5G, Wi-Fi, and video, standard essential patents (SEPs) have become strategic assets with significant geopolitical importance. Technological leadership in standards development is now central to both business strategy and national industrial policy. However, determining and enforcing SEP rights is increasingly complex in a fragmented legal landscape. Courts and regulators around the world — from the U.S. to China and Europe — apply different approaches to determine FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) rates. These jurisdictional differences have led to forum shopping, inconsistent rulings, and uncertainty for both SEP holders and implementers. Trade tensions, particularly between the U.S. and China, along with proposed tariffs on major exporting nations, add further complexity to SEP enforcement and licensing strategies for multinational companies. Key topics for discussion include: How global SEP disputes are shaped by jurisdictional differences in FRAND interpretationThe role of courts in assessing portfolio size, essentiality, and license comparability The impact of trade tensions and tariffs on SEP licensing and enforcementEmerging strategies for SEP licensing across standards and emerging industriesHow businesses adapt licensing models to geopolitical and legal shifts Session 3: Fire-Side Chat – Updates on the Current FRAND case Law The SEP dispute landscape is evolving rapidly, with court decisions across various jurisdictions shaping global FRAND rate determinations. Given the international nature of SEP agreements, case law from different regions plays a crucial role in understanding and predicting outcomes. In this fireside chat, two leading litigation lawyers will share the latest updates on FRAND-related case law and discuss its broader implications. Session 4: Looking Ahead: The Global Ecosystem of Standardized Technology and the Road to 6G This panel explores the innovations shaping 6G and how they are impacting global supply chains, standardization, and market dynamics. While 5G and 6G standards are developed through international collaboration — with major contributions from Europe, the U.S., Korea, Japan, and China — competition remains intense in the manufacturing of critical components like modem chips and network infrastructure. The 5G/6G modem supply chain is particularly complex, involving design, fabrication, and integration across global hubs. In response to supply chain risks and growing strategic concerns, some smartphone makers are now developing in-house 5G modems to reduce reliance on third-party suppliers. The panel will also look at how wireless standards are enabling advances in AI, IoT, autonomous systems, and XR, and how competing IoT technologies are evolving. Key topics for discussion include: The road to 6G: what technology trends will define the next generation? Infrastructure rollout and global competition in network deploymentCompetitive dynamics in the 5G/6G modem chip supply chain The shift toward in-house modem development and its strategic implications The role of wireless standards in powering AI, IoT, autonomous systems, and XR Emerging challenges and priorities in global 6G standardization Speakers Justus Baron Senior Research Associate, Northwestern University LinkedIn Profile Kirti Gupta VP & Chief Economist Global, Technology Cornerstone Research LinkedIn Profile Timothy Simcoe Professor, Boston University LinkedIn Profile Tim Pohlmann Managing Director Americas, LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions LinkedIn Profile Patricio Delgado Vice President, IPR Policy & Commercial Compliance, Ericsson LinkedIn Profile Mi Yao Director Intellectual Property, ZTE LinkedIn Profile Peter Merz Head of Standards, Nokia LinkedIn Profile Jon Putnam Founder & Principal, Competition Dynamics LinkedIn Profile Thomas Pease Partner, Greenberg Traurig LinkedIn Profile John Mulgrew Former VP of IP, Lenovo LinkedIn Profile Marc Rysman Professor, Boston University LinkedIn Profile Shahrokh Nayeb Nazar Head of Patent Analysis & Assertion, Qualcomm LinkedIn Profile Tom Brown Senior Managing Legal Director, Dell LinkedIn Profile Richard Vary Partner, Bird & Bird LinkedIn Profile Location Boston University Campus, Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, United States Registration We look forward seeing you in Boston. Highlights from Last Year’s Conference Part 1 The future of wireless technology Key topics discussed in this video include The future role of SEPs and open standards in 6G mobile telecommunications technologies Developing the critical infrastructure for the next generations (ORAN, etc); The role of OSS in mobile telecom networks [NFV, etc] Innovation in the chips that drive wireless technology [e.g. AI-on-5G] New IoT use cases for standard protocols such as NB-IoT, LTE-M, Cat.1 Part 2 The role of patents and standards for technology leadership Key topics discussed in this video include SEP licensing – A big picture perspective The 2 paradigms of Standards Activities The role of technology, leadership and engineering. The EU’s plan to set an aggressive royalty cap Part 3 New frontiers of SEP licensing Key topics discussed in this video include: How to deal with new industry verticals, new royalty rate price points, complex value chains and different market expectations to facilitate SEP licensing. How to deal with new emerging venues of SEP licensing disputes including India and South America. Are pools the solution to all challenges? Pools and platforms have gained momentum and companies that never joined pools before are now the founding members. Part 4 AI & open standards Key topics for the panel to discuss include: Status of open standards for AI Leadership in AI development, Government policies (AI Act, NIST, etc.) Patenting of AI innovations The role for SEPs in future AI standards
