‘Adults Only IP’ Conference to be Held February 24
The State Bar Association of California, Intellectual Property Section, will present a one-day conference entitled “Adults Only IP.” The speakers and panels featured at the conference will cover controversial areas of IP law, including topics relating to the adult entertainment and cannabis industries.
Several prominent adult industry attorneys will be featured speakers for panel discussions, including conference keynote speaker Paul Cambria. Attorneys Jeffrey Douglas, Michael Fattarosi, Allan Gelbard, and Greg Piccionelli also will take part in discussions.
Law students, IP Section members and non-members are encouraged to attend. To register, please click here or contact (415) 538-2508.
The conference schedule is as follows:
Growing Like a Weed: IP Law for Cannabis Businesses
The growing, processing and distribution of marijuana is already legal to one degree or another in about half of the 50 states + Washington, D.C.; it is already a billion-dollar a year business and is projected to grow to $8 billion (or more) by 2018. And that doesn’t include the ancillary businesses that support the industry: software, lighting & moisture control equipment, accounting and legal services, advertising, etc. Like every emerging industry since the founding of the country, with growth comes a host of IP issues. This panel will discuss them based on real experience to date.
Speakers: Lance Rogers, Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP; Shabnam Malek, Cobalt Law, LLP; Peter Gutenberg, Law Office of Peter Gutenberg
Moderator: David Branfman, Branfman Law Group, P.C.
Protecting Highly Infringed Content: Copyright and the Adult Industry
Adult content is well known for being both highly infringed and a hot bed of questionable infringement accusations. Its unique place in our society leads to particular, and particularly interesting, challenges. Hear from our panel of experts about strategies and issues special to protecting adult entertainment content.
Speakers: Allan Gelbard, The Law Offices of Allan Gelbard; Roy Liebrecht, Lookhu.com
Luncheon Keynote: Having It All: Protecting Free Expression and IP Rights
Preeminent First Amendment attorney Paul Cambria, who has represented
Larry Flynt, DMX, and Marilyn Manson, will share his experiences on the cutting edge of protecting and defending adult content. Over lunch, Paul will discuss the nexus of criminal law, constitutional law, and intellectual property, and examine how each influences the others when tackling such groundbreaking subject matter.
Keynote Speaker: Paul Cambria, Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP
Getting Down and Dirty with the USPTO: IP for the Immoral and Scandalous
Dealing with unusual trademarks or patentable devices, especially those that may be considered obscene, scandalous, or immoral, can add extra complexity to protecting clients’ assets. Our panel of accomplished attorneys will share their experiences and tips for registering and enforcing potentially problematic marks and inventions.
Speakers: Greg Piccionelli, Piccionelli & Sarno; Anna Vradenburgh, The Eclipse Group, LLP; Tammy Terry, Osha Liang, LLP
50 Shades of IP: Adult-Oriented Transformative Works
From 50 Shades of Grey to Ellery Queen, transformative works such as fanfiction and fan art have been a part of popular culture since the advent of the novel itself. Each change in technology brings new ways works can be transformed, and new challenges for rights holders, users, and the legal system. Our panel of experts will discuss fan fiction, fan art, cosplay, fictional characters in virtual worlds, and how adult content may affect a fair use analysis, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Speakers: Corynne McSherry, Electronic Frontier Foundation; Todd Alberstone, Alberstone Consulting; Moderator: Hannah Poteat, Poteat Law
In the Footsteps of Saul Goodman: The Ethics and Morals of Representing Controversial Clients
What ethical duties arise when representing clients that may be engaged in illegal ventures? What happens to an attorney’s reputation when representing unpopular clients or unsavory topics? And is there a difference between the ethics and morals behind these representations? Our panel of experts will discuss these topics and their experiences representing marijuana dispensaries, the adult entertainment industry, criminal defendants, and so much more.
Speakers: Jeffrey Douglas, The Law Office of Jeffrey J. Douglas; Michael Fattorosi, The Law Offices of Michael W. Fattorosi, P.C.; Edward Lear, Century Law Group, LLC; David Welch, D|R Welch Attorneys at Law