Maria Pallante Receives Champion of Intellectual Property Award

Maria Pallante accepting IP award

Annual Reception to Honor 2017 Distinguished Recipient of Champion of Intellectual Property (ChIP) Award: Maria Pallante.

On July 19, the D.C. Bar Intellectual Property Law Community’s Annual Reception honored this year’s distinguished recipient of the Champion of Intellectual Property (ChIP) Award: Maria Pallante, former Register of Copyrights and current President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers.

Excerpts from Chairman Goodlatte’s remarks:

“I’m pleased to see that Maria is receiving this award today and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of it.”

“As a Member of Congress, I meet numerous Americans who work to have an impact upon the world in which we live. Maria chose to focus her career on copyright and without a doubt, she has had a major impact upon it. Maria’s background includes a long commitment to copyright in a wide range of roles, representing those who create as well as those who use creative works. I do not exaggerate when I say that when Maria speaks, the copyright world listens.”

“Maria’s impact, however, goes far beyond her legal knowledge. Maria has been a trusted voice to Members of Congress as we have reviewed our nation’s copyright laws. The review spanned an unprecedented 20 hearings, trips to 3 cities outside Washington, and 100 witnesses. And it was only appropriate that Maria was both the very first and very last witness at our hearings.”

“Maria’s wise counsel on both the copyright law and copyright industries has proven especially useful as Members waded through provisions in Title 17 that were written in the 1960’s…and Maria’s stewardship of the Copyright Office resulted in significant steps in modernization of the Copyright Office itself, both big and small.”

Excerpts from Maria’s remarks:

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award from my peers in the D.C. legal community. My interest in intellectual property was sparked by the stellar teaching of my law school professors and has provided me with the most rewarding career and talented colleagues imaginable.”

“It is honor enough to be part of a bar with so many brilliant lawyers, but I would also note that I am not aware of any other jurisdiction where the concept of service runs so deeply. The DC Bar’s motto is Service, Integrity, and Leadership, and indeed these are the qualities I think of when I think of the IP lawyers who practice in Washington.”

“I was a very fortunate Register of Copyrights because my tenure coincided with Bob Goodlatte’s leadership of the Judiciary Committee. Under his direction, review of the Nation’s copyright system has been principled and comprehensive, and supporting him and his exceptional staff in that work was a highlight of my public service.”
“As my colleagues from the publishing industry will attest, we are fortunate to work in a country that values the role of creative expression in a civilized world, and one that supports private investment and free markets. It is a good place to be an IP expert.”

“IP is a complex field, however, and I will always hold a special place in my heart for those who spend time during their careers working for the public interest—many of the most impressive legal minds I have ever worked with are now (or once were) at the top of government.”

Excerpts provided by Association of American Publishers.

get blog updates