Letter from the Chair

It is unbelievable that nearly a year has already passed since I was given the honor of becoming Chair of the IP Section. So much has happened in our field and the world around us in these few short months, and I am very lucky to be surrounded by attorneys who take the craft of honing the practice and understanding of IP law—and law in general—to the highest level. 

In April, the California Lawyers Association released a statement on our commitment to the Rule of Law as an organization. This statement can be found here. I personally echo the sentiments that “rule of law…is a cornerstone of our democracy. Any erosion of this principle threatens the foundation of justice, equality, and freedom that we hold dear.”  It is my personal belief that as attorneys we have taken oaths to uphold this rule of law, and it is the responsibility of every attorney to speak and act to support this critical aspect of our democracy. I would humbly ask all of our members to consider this responsibility in their day-to-day lives.

The world around us is moving fast in many unexpected and unprecedented ways, and the world of IP law is no different. Recent months have brought conflicting rulings that are shaping the boundaries of fair use in AI training, changes at the Copyright Office and USPTO, a new California bill directed towards CIPA claims in relation to marketing pixels, and so much more. The IP Section is working to bring you programming and information just as fast. 

The Trademark Office Comes to California will be taking on a new look in October as a phenomenal series of webinars with the USPTO. We’re calling it the California Trademark Spotlight. We’re also working directly with representatives of the European Patent Office, and you should keep your eyes peeled for exciting news on that front soon. Finally, we expect to have some in-person networking events coming in a few months, which are always great opportunities to meet fellow IP attorneys.

For the latest in copyright or patent, as well as lively discussion with other California IP attorneys, you can join our Patent IG at noon on the first Tuesday of every month or our Copyright IG at noon on the first Wednesday of every month. Our Licensing and Technology Transactions IG has calls on the second Friday of each month, and our AI IG meets to discuss what’s new in AI on the second Tuesday of each month. These calls have some very engaging discussions and really fantastic communities built around them.

If you’re having trouble remembering when our calls are, want to know when any of our events are happening, or just want to keep up on IP news, you can read the latest issue of Inevitable Disclosures, our e-newsletter. The IP Section also has a new way to keep track of what’s new. Our new LinkedIn page can be found here, and we will move towards making it our primary communications channel over the next few months. If you’re interested in our events and IP news, please do give it a follow.

All the best,

Jon Lurie
IP Section Chair