Copyright Alliance and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) Organizations Across the U.S. to Celebrate World IP Day from April 22-26

Washington, D.C. In recognition of World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) on Friday, April 26, 2019, the Copyright Alliance – in partnership with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) organizations across the country – will celebrate by hosting a series of events during the week of April 22-26.

Established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 19 years ago, World IP Day was designated as a means of broadening the understanding of Intellectual Property and occurs on April 26 each year. This year’s WIPD theme is Reach for Gold: IP and Sports, which will serve as the central focus for a variety of events throughout the U.S. According to WIPO, this year’s WIPD theme “takes a closer look inside the world of sports. It explores how innovation, creativity and the IP rights that encourage and protect them support the development of sport and its enjoyment around the world.”

As was the case last year, the Copyright Alliance will again partner with numerous VLA organizations throughout the country to provide accessible, free copyright-related programming and tools to educate creators and the public about the importance of copyright. This year, the following VLAs will participate in the celebration of World IP Day and the importance of strong copyright protection:

Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville (Nashville, TN): Copyright Mythbusters

Creative Many Michigan (Detroit, MI): Copyright and Collaboration for Musicians (with La Luna Recording & Sound)

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts (Atlanta, GA):When Can Artists Use Athletes’ & Sports Teams’ Intellectual Property?

Locust Projects (Miami, FL):CopyWRONGS: Clearing Misconceptions About Copyright Law

St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (St. Louis, MO): Copyright Myth Busters: Misperceptions

Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts and the Austin Music Foundation (Austin, TX): Creativity Meets Copyright: Owning Your Art

The Ella Project (New Orleans, LA): Music Business Intensive: Monetizing Your Music

Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts (Washington, D.C.): Frame the Lawyers 2019: Juried Art Exhibition Opening Reception and IP Workshop

In addition to cosponsoring VLA events, the Copyright Alliance will host a lunch-time panel in conjunction with the Creative Rights Caucus titled Steal Bases, Not Creativity; Why Copyright is a Home Run for Sports on April 26 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., in room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Panelists include:

Moderator: Maggie Linton, Award-Winning Broadcaster

Curtis LeGeyt, National Association of Broadcasters

Delara Derakhshani, Entertainment Software Association

Dolores DiBella, National Football League

Michael Bynum, renowned Sports Writer

Patrick Smith, recognized sports photographer for Getty Images

Ray Warren, President, Telemundo Deportes

The panel will discuss a number of topics relating to the importance of copyright and other IP protections to sports leagues, broadcasters, video game companies, and to the individuals who make it possible for sports fans around the globe to get the latest sports news and imagery, as well as eSports coverage.

We’ll also have a *Special Guest Appearance* (and the opportunity to take photos with) Slapshot, the mascot for the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals!

Media representatives interested in attending should email Eileen Bramlet at ebramlet@copyrightalliance.org by April 24.

According to Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid, “World Intellectual Property Day is observed on April 26 each year as a means of fostering an understanding of intellectual property and celebrating the importance of copyright protection to the creative community and the general public. This year, we’re thrilled to once again collaborate with outstanding VLAs across the country to host a variety of events focused on Reach for Gold: IP and Sports and numerous other events intended to educate and inform regarding the value of copyright and creators rights.” Kupferschmid continued by adding, “We invite everyone to visit our Twitter page for updates on this year’s WIPD events, blogs, and videos by industry and government leaders. And a schedule of World IP Day/Week event information (for both in-person and online celebrations) can be found here.”

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ABOUT THE COPYRIGHT ALLIANCE

The Copyright Alliance is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest and educational organization representing the copyright interests of over 1.8 million individual creators and over 13,000 organizations in the United States, across the spectrum of copyright disciplines. The Copyright Alliance is dedicated to advocating policies that promote and preserve the value of copyright, and to protecting the rights of creators and innovators. For more information, please visit www.copyrightalliance.org.