Qualcomm's General Counsel Ann Chaplin on Patents Fueling Innovation

Clause 8

In this special episode of Clause 8, host Eli Mazour speaks with Ann Cathcart Chaplin at the Qualcomm Museum, which is right at the heart of Qualcomm’s headquarters in San Diego. Ann shares her journey from being an IP litigator to in-house counsel and from GM to Qualcomm.

As General Counsel of Qualcomm, Ann oversees all legal matters for the world’s leading innovator of connectivity solutions. Before Qualcomm, she served in a variety of deputy general counsel roles at General Motors (GM). Ann spent most of her career prior to that focused on IP litigation, including as litigation practice group leader at one of the world’s biggest IP firms.

Her leadership experience at a major auto company before joining Qualcomm provides her with a unique vantage point about the role of standard essential patents (SEPs), the relationship between cellular innovators like Qualcomm and auto companies, and the surrounding debates.

From her beginnings in Minnesota, initial aspiration to become a public defender as a Harvard Law student, and eventual transition into IP litigation, Ann shares her unlikely journey. Now at Qualcomm, she touches on the challenges and opportunities of navigating IP issues in one of America's most significant and innovative tech companies, which relies heavily on a functioning IP system that promotes innovation.

Ann Chaplin's transition from IP litigation at a law firm to in-house counsel at GM is a significant highlight of this episode. She discusses adapting her IP litigation skills to address GM's pressing legal concerns, including for diverse fields such as product liability, class actions, and corporate governance,. Ann's role at Qualcomm involves overseeing IP and licensing, emphasizing its critical role in driving innovation. Her key concerns include attacks on the patent system and the need for policies that support sustainable R&D investments.

Check out the full VIDEO Interview on Voice of IP

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