Wednesday 17 November 2010

Boot camps: do expert witnesses need them?

I've just been reading an advertisement for a Patent Expert Witness Boot Camp presented by Patent Calls (details here). The very concept, and its presentation, signify instantly that it's a US initiative.  The rubric reads as follows:
"Patent Litigation is often compared to war, and you wouldn't go to war without first going to Boot Camp, would you?

Patent Calls' Patent Expert Witness Boot Camp is intended to help technology experts learn and improve upon the skills needed to be an effective witness in patent trials. Successful participants will be able to approach their work with greater confidence and improved understanding of the role of the expert.

Participant cost is $6,000 and includes both lodging and meals".
An admittedly brief online search has failed to unearth any equivalent Boot Camps or training schemes for patent expert witnesses in the continent of Europe, or indeed anywhere else.  It seems to me that what we regard as training an expert witness is something else -- training the witness to serve the requirements of the party paying hs or her fees and expenses.  Have I missed something? If so, PatLit would like to receive comments from patent expert witnesses, and from those who hire and examine them, as to whether Europe should be building a corps of effective technology witnesses.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

In the U.S. attorneys are advocates for their clients focused on winning patent cases often for big contingencies. An unsuspecting college prof can get talked into a bad situation. So I think its good to get training from a third party - especially the guy they have leading it. $6,000 seems like alot but a witness can make that back in a couple of days. Probably a good networking opp too, and the resort looks nice. I'm not sure if it makes sense in Europe - good question...