IPC - Association Connecting Electronics Industries® is convening a group of leading PCB manufacturers, EMS providers and OEM companies to develop a standard for the protection of intellectual property. The first meeting of the IP standards development group will take place on Friday, October 23, 2009, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Protecting intellectual property (IP) is critical in today's competitive global marketplace. Leading OEMs are increasingly concerned with the protection of IP embedded in their products. Now they are realizing the importance of protecting the IP that is designed into PCBs. Similarly, the U.S. Congress has directed the Department of Defense (DoD) to develop a trusted source program for PCB manufacturers supplying the DoD.

With both the commercial and government sectors' interest in protecting IP through supplier requirements and audits, the new standard is expected to educate members and elevate best practices in IP protection. The new IP standard will also help the global electronics industry save money by developing a single standard to which companies can certify.

The IP standard organizational meeting will take place the morning following the IPC Electronics Industry Executive Summit, which will include a presentation by Patrick Muir, President of Muir Patent Consulting, PLLC, on "Protecting your IP."     

To register for the free IP standards development organizational meeting or for more information on the work of the group, contact Fern Abrams, IPC Director of Government Relations and Environmental Policy, at +1 703-522-0225.

About IPC

IPC is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Illinois, dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,700 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.7 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, New Mexico; Arlington, Virginia; Garden Grove, California; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; and Shanghai and Shenzhen, China. For more information, visit www.ipc.org.