CHICAGO, April 6, 2023 — Experts from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Copyright Office and intellectual property leaders from around the world will meet during the 2023 American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law Annual Meeting, April 12-14, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Speakers at the two-day meeting will focus on the most current developments in the practice, including the metaverse, the booming creator economy, managing malpractice risk and brand protection. The meeting will feature more than 20 programs.
- Ralph Oman, former U.S. Register of Copyrights and Pravel Professorial Lecturer in Intellectual Property and Patent Law, George Washington Law School, retired, will deliver remarks at the ABA-IPL Conference Luncheon, 12:15-1:30 p.m. on April 13. He will receive the annual Mark T. Banner Award, which recognizes exemplary individuals or groups for their contribution to intellectual property law and/or practice.
- David S. Gooder, the commissioner for trademarks at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will deliver the keynote address from 12:15-1:45 p.m. on April 14. Gooder directs USPTO’s trademark policy, petitions, operations, register protection and administration.
What:
2023 ABA-IPL Section Annual Conference
Sponsored by the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law
When:
Wednesday-Friday, April 12-14
Where:
Omni Shoreham Hotel
2500 Calvert St. NW
Washington, DC 20008
Program highlights include:
“Reinventing Section 101 – The Future of Patent Subject Matter Eligibility” — Experts will discuss decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and the federal circuit that have made patent subject matter eligibility more uncertain, ambiguous and unpredictable. Program participants include Judge Randall R. Rader (ret.), The Rader Group, Washington, D.C. and Maddie Vishwanathan, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
Thursday, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
“Update from the Copyright Office” — Senior officials from the U.S. Copyright Office – Robert Kasunic, Erik Bertin and Andrew Foglia – will provide an overview of recent activities in copyright law and policies, studies, operations and modernization.
Thursday. 11 a.m.-12 p.m
“Through the Eyes of Emerging Companies: The IP Journey” — Representatives from “emerging companies” – from Arup, specializing in the built environment, to Paw Power-Happy Bond, specializing in health wellness for pets – will share their successes, failures and insights on such issues as what type of IP to file first and where, developing an IP and business strategy, creating a brand and dealing with strategic partners.
Thursday, 1:45-2:45 p.m.
“Brand Protection in the Metaverse” — The rise of the metaverse raises new issues for brand owners in the procurement, protection and enforcement of trademark rights. A panel of experts, including Shekinah Apedo, general counsel for NFT collection and metaverse brand Deadfellaz in Washington, D.C., and Eliana Torres, a lawyer with Nixon Peabody LLP in Chicago who works on blockchain, NFTs and the metaverse, will discuss lawsuits recently filed in U.S. courts by luxury brands, such as Hermes and Nike, and whether NFTs incorporating third-party trademarks without authorization violate IP laws.
Thursday, 4:45-5:45 p.m.
“Creator Economy Law: Understanding Emerging Issues for Creators” — The creator economy is estimated to have a market size of $104 billion and 303 million creators globally. This panel, which includes Linna Chen, senior legal counsel at Spotify in New York; Tobin Jaramillo, business affairs executive at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles; Heather Kamins, general counsel at Jellysmack in Nashville, Tennessee; Jess Miers, legal advocacy counsel at Chamber of Progress in Santa Clara, California; and Patrick Soon, videogame lawyer at Meta in Los Angeles, will cover what the creator economy means; how IP attorneys can best support the legal needs of creators and corporations/brands that engage with them; and recent developments in the creator economy ecosystem.
Friday, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
“Views from the Agencies: Standard Essential Patents and the Internet of Things” — Government experts, including Jennifer Dixton, assistant chief at the Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.; Christian Hannon, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Washington, D.C.; and Anupama Sawkar, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C., will share perspectives on IP enforcement, emerging legal and policy developments and the impact on internet interoperability, innovation and seamlessness.
Friday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
View the full program at ambar.org/iplspring. For media registration, contact Shanda Ivory at [email protected].
The ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law (ABA-IPL) provides the highest quality information, analysis, and practice tools for intellectual property lawyers. ABA-IPL serves as the thoughtful source of information and commentary for policy makers as they consider legislation affecting the law and regulations in intellectual property matters. The section is respected and known as the premier resource for knowledge in this important and complex area of law.
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.