The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) hosted its first-ever Symposium on Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) on September 18 and 19, 2025, at its Geneva headquarters. The two-day event, themed “A SEPtember Symphony,” brought together more than 800 participants from around the world, both onsite and via webcast, for a vibrant exchange on the policy, legal, and economic dimensions of SEPs and their licensing.
A platform for global dialogue
The Symposium, organized under the WIPO Strategy on Standard Essential Patents 2024–26, provided a unique, neutral forum for judges, policymakers, standardization experts, industry representatives, litigators, economists, and patent specialists to share perspectives and foster collaboration across the innovation ecosystem.
In his opening address, WIPO’s Director General Daren Tang emphasized WIPO’s international mandate and its commitment to facilitating dialogue among diverse stakeholders.
“This symposium is an important milestone in the implementation of WIPO’s comprehensive Strategy on SEPs. It brings together a very diverse set of stakeholders from around the world, and provides a global meeting point for discussions and information-sharing.”
WIPO Director General Daren Tang
One of the Symposium’s key goals was to help foster and promote a global understanding of the management, licensing and assertion of SEPs, a category of patents used to protect inventions that are considered essential to the implementation of a particular technology standard. Standards are critical for ensuring the safety, interoperability and compatibility of many everyday products and services, and consequently, SEPs play an important role in the development of technology.
Program highlights
The program featured 14 sessions and more than 50 panelists, covering a wide range of SEP-related topics. Key sessions included:
- Keynote Panel and Fireside Chat: Moderated by Lisa Jorgenson, Deputy Director General of WIPO’s Patents and Technology Sector and Marco Aleman, Assistant Director General of WIPO’s IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector respectively, both sessions brought together thought leaders from academia, standard development organizations, and industry to discuss the complexities of SEPs and the path toward a more balanced ecosystem.
- FRAND Determination: Experts explored the economic underpinnings and methodologies for determining fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms and the intersection of SEPs with competition law.
- Dealmaking and ADR: Panels addressed the process of SEP licensing negotiations, the role of alternative dispute resolution, and the evolving landscape of SEP litigation and judicial developments.
- Policy and Regulation: Government representatives and regulators discussed public policy measures and the role of national and international frameworks in shaping SEP licensing.
A symphony of perspectives
Reflecting this year’s World Intellectual Property Day theme of “IP and Music,” the Symposium’s music motif underscored the harmony and occasional dissonance in the SEP ecosystem. Each session was accompanied by a musical theme, reinforcing the event’s creative and collaborative spirit.
Looking ahead
The Symposium marked a milestone in WIPO’s ongoing efforts to serve as a global platform for SEP dialogue. Participants praised the event’s open exchange and practical focus, with many noting the importance of continued collaboration to address the challenges and opportunities presented by SEPs in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
For more information, including the full program and the speaker list, visit the Symposium webpage.
About WIPO
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the United Nations agency that serves the world’s innovators and creators, ensuring that their ideas travel safely to the market and improve lives everywhere.
We do so by providing services that enable creators, innovators and entrepreneurs to protect and promote their intellectual property (IP) across borders and acting as a forum for addressing cutting-edge IP issues. Our IP data and information guide decisionmakers the world over. And our impact-driven projects and technical assistance ensure IP benefits everyone, everywhere.
For more information, please contact the News and Media Division at WIPO:
- Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 / 338 72 24