Other Programs

Other IIPSJ Education and Outreach Programs

From its inception in 2002, IIPSJ has conducted programs to reach out to the bench and bar and to government officials through workshops and seminars as well as through participation in professional organizations such as the Giles Rich Inn of Court and the American Intellectual Property Association. One of IIPSJ's earliest conferences was a continuing legal education program designed for lawyers and judges. The CLE has been done annually ever since.

Over the years IIPSJ has sponsored or participated in various outreach initiatives and programs to educate undergraduates and community members about IP and its opportunities. This aspect continues to grow through partnering with the NAACP, the USPTO, Sramani, and with other organizations for particular programs.  Below is information on current and some past programs that IIPSJ has sponsored or participated in.

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Net Neutrality

Over the summer, you likely noticed an increase in webpages and social media posts on Net Neutrality.  And when you visited various webpages on July 12 you may have seen ads supporting the Internet wide day of action to save net neutrality.

 

 

These posts refer to the April 26 announcement and May 18 Notice of Public Rulemaking (“NPRM”) on “Restoring Internet Freedom” by the FCC to reverse the 2015 Open Internet Order, which categorized broadband service as a communications service under Title II of the Communications Act.  This order barred broadband providers from throttling connection speeds, blocking websites, and accepting payment for prioritizing web traffic.  There are many articles and other materials online explaining the effects of these rules.  Here are links to a few:
Many Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) are in favor of the NPRM, agreeing with FCC Chairman Pai’s comments that the Open Internet Order provides too much regulation of broadband service and has led to a decreased investment of infrastructure.
Opponents of the new rule include many content providers as well as consumers of broadband services.  Despite the name of the NPRM, “Restoring Internet Freedom” comments submitted by opponents of the rule argue that it would limit consumers access, by making it more difficult to reach webpages hosted by smaller businesses that cannot afford to pay for higher prioritization,  and possibly limiting connection speeds or blocking websites of competitors providing similar services.
For a social justice perspective on net neutrality see Net Neutrality: The Social Justice Issue of Our Time by Summer Google Policy Fellow at Public Knowledge and Third Year Howard Law student, Willmary Escoto, which discusses how revoking the 2015 rules can also limit access to minority points of view, such as current online social justice movements such as #BLACKLIVESMATTER.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has announced a Full Committee hearing on September 7 entitled “Ground Rules for the Internet Ecosystem.”  The committee has invited the CEOs of leading tech companies, including Facebook, Amazon, and Netflix, as well as broadband providers including Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T to testify before the committee.
We will continue to follow and share developments on this rulemaking.  You may also want to follow these threads on the EFF and PK websites for more up to date information.

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IP Symposium: Best Practices in Rights Clearance

As we all welcome the New Year IIPSJ continues its collaborative work in community IP education and empowerment initiatives as a co-sponsor of

Best Practices in Rights Clearance:
A Symposium By and For Professional Visual Artists and Arts Lawyers,

Presented by the Center for Protection of Intellectual Property at the Anton Scalia Law School at George Mason University, on Thursday, January 18, 2018, beginning at 1pm.

This symposium will bring together scholars, industry representatives, and visual artists to discuss when and whether rights need to be cleared when using the work of others. During the networking reception to follow, students from the Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Clinic at the Scalia Law School will be available to consult one-on-one with attendees about copyright questions they may have and to otherwise facilitate further consultation with the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts and other Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts organizations.

Please visit the link here at Center's website for further information and to register for the Symposium.

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