Internet entrepreneurs face a critical dilemma: Should they patent their ideas, or is that a waste of time and energy? 

The pivotal importance of patents on e-business is being highlighted by high-profile suits by Priceline, Amazon, and DoubleClick.  The jury is out on whether these patents are highly valuable to their companies (or just their lawyers)

• Patents can create valuable assets to block competitors, attract investors, or use as trading chips.

• Internet culture devalues patents, and has no patience for lawyers, the Patent Office, and courts. Patent experts say they are here to stay.

• Entrepreneurs have no time or resources to waste, but they can ill-afford to leave this card on the table, if it might be an ace.

Key questions

• How does an entrepreneur decide whether to seek patents?  What are the strategies for getting patents and getting value out of them? -- mapping, offense, defense, trading?  How can the little guy play the game?

• What do VCs and investors want to see? Do they care?

• What do partners and competitors think and do?

• What does it take? Can you start small/continue as warranted?

Speakers:

• Kevin Rivette, CEO, Aurigin Systems, Inc.; co-author of Rembrandts in the Attic: Unlocking the Hidden Value of Patents (Harvard Business School Press).

• Jeff Brandt, Senior VP, Counsel, Intellectual Property & Licensing and the founding attorney at Walker Digital.   Responsible for the Priceline patent.

• Dr. Mark Myers, Senior VP of Research and Technology, Xerox; soon to become a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School.

• Russ O'Haver, head of the Intangible Property team at Ernst & Young.

Moderator:

• Richard Reisman, CTO, RxRemedy/HealthSCOUT and holder of a patent portfolio