Leveling Up in Video Game Copyright

About the Program:

Please join us as we discuss the issues raised by recent video game copyright cases, including the use of tattoo art and dance choreography in popular video games, as well as the challenges and risks litigating cases involving video games from an in-house perspective. Our discussion will also address the impact of DMCA anti-circumvention clauses and exceptions on video games, as well as licensing issues faced by counsel advising on video game development.

Speakers:

Ben Golant is Chief Counsel for Intellectual Property Policy at the Entertainment Software Association in Washington, DC. There, he represents the video game industry before policymakers at the federal and state levels. Ben started at ESA in September 2015 after a long career in the federal government working at the Federal Communications Commission, the United States Copyright Office, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is an expert on copyright, free speech, online distribution platforms, and advanced consumer technologies. Ben has taught classes on a wide range of communications law topics at the Columbus School of Law – Catholic University and currently teaches a video game law class at Georgetown University Law Center.

Recognized as a “Next Generation Lawyer” (Legal 500), Joshua Simmons focuses his practice at Kirkland & Ellis LLP on appellate and trial court litigation and counseling, as well as regulatory and legislative policy. This “exceptional” (Chambers), “Top Attorney” (Law360), and “big-picture thought leader” (WTR) litigates copyright, patent, right of publicity, trademark, and trade secret cases—particularly complex cases and those of first impression—along with contract, licensing, and domain name disputes. In addition to maintaining a full-time litigation practice, Josh is a frequent speaker and has authored numerous articles on emerging trends in intellectual property. He also is an active member of the intellectual property bar.  He is the Chair of the Copyright Society’s Media Library Committee.  At the ABA Intellectual Property Law Section, he chairs its Copyright Law Reform Task Force, serves on its governing Council, and is a Council Liaison to its Copyright Division.  He is Vice Chair of the Intellectual Property Owners Association’s Software Related Inventions Committee, and its liaison to the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law, Copyright project.  And he is a member of the Board of Advisors to Columbia Law School’s Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts.

Pete Welch is a Senior Vice President at Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. where he has worked in various capacities since 2007. Pete leads the legal publishing function for Take-Two’s 2K, Private Division, and Social Point labels, and in addition to intellectual property issues, he and his team work on privacy, e-commerce, and provide advice relating to all legal issues attendant to the creation, marketing and distribution of Take-Two’s products.  Prior to joining Take-Two, Pete was an associate with Davis and Gilbert LLP and Morgan and Finnegan LLP. He is a graduate of Boston College and Fordham Law School.

Mavis Fowler-Williams (Moderator) is the principal in her private practice, Intellectual Property and Technology Law in the 21st Century. She handles a full array of Intellectual Property matters for clients, primarily in the Entertainment industry. Mavis has garnered the experience and reputation as a transactional specialist, negotiating, revising and reviewing thousands of copyright, trademark and  technology license agreements and other IP agreements, while at top corporations: Toys “R” Us, Nick at Nite and TV Land, CBS News, Al Jazeera America and ALM Media. She teaches Intellectual Property Drafting at Fordham Law School and IP Transactional Practice: Counseling, Negotiating, and Drafting as well as the Negotiations Workshop at Columbia Law School. She hosted her Second Annual Intellectual Property Law in the 21st Century Panel of Artists and Lawyers in April, 2019. Mavis is the author of numerous legal books and articles, i.e. on Copyright Law and Patent Law as well as articles on copyright, trademark and entertainment law.  She has also appeared on CNN, Court TV and radio and has been featured in online publications.

Mavis Fowler-Williams is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Law, the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science a/k/a The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (popularly known as SEAS) and The Bronx High School of Science. In her spare time, Mavis enjoys spending time with her husband and two children biking, swimming, traveling, kayaking, playing tennis (she was the Copyright Society’s 14th and 24th Annual Kate McKay Tennis Tournament Champion in 2000 and 2009), snowboarding, juggling and doing community service. While they engage in these activities, Mavis cherishes capturing these special moments in photographs.

COST:

Members: $40
Non-Members: $50
Student Members: $35

Program will provide 1 credit for NY and PA CLE.

Cancellation Policy
Refunds must be requested in writing at least three business days before the event. Refunds will not be issued after that point. Unfortunately, we will not be able to credit your registration payment toward a future event, but you may allow another person to attend in your place. Please email rogerio@csusa.org and let us know that person’s name, affiliation, city and state.

Financial Aid Policy
The Copyright Society provides a limited number of scholarships each year to judges, law clerks, professors, students, attorneys, and nonprofit organization employees. For information on how to apply, please click here.