21 October 2015
It is too complicated to explain how we sort out the hotel situation, but suffice to say we have not yet got IGC permission for the more comfortable stable we end up moving our suitcases to. No matter. At least we have stopped swearing, the EyePeePee and I. We take a trip across to the USPTO, where we and our CIPA colleagues meet with some top officials to talk about global patent harmonisation, diversity, the UPC and USPTO examiners. This is all most exciting. My hero Michelle Lee, the USPTO Director, is there. We think it is quite a coup to have been granted an audience with her. We think she has perhaps not been properly briefed about my reputation. Women like Michelle Lee are fantastic role models, because in a wonderful understated way they make it clear that diversity is a serious issue and not just for people who are short of things to make a fuss about. Director Lee offers to help us with our own diversity projects. I resist telling her the official CIPA policy on diversity, which is (to précis):
At the end of the meeting, the USPTO people say By the way, we do like your Not-so-secret blog. So perhaps they have been properly briefed after all. They apologise for not providing biscuits or Red Bull® or gin and tonic, because they know from my blog how much I like such things. Still, it is enough that CIPA is sufficiently important to warrant a room full of senior USPTO dignitaries, even without IGC permission. The EyePeePee and I return to the conference hotel in excellent moods, and treat ourselves to a gin and tonic or three to celebrate. The EyePeePee is supposed to be telling me when not to have another gin and tonic, but the jet lag is unfortunately dulling both of our senses. Instead, we plan how to make CIPA work better, which for some reason we both find very funny.
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