Legal Expertise

Intellectual property considerations in the preservation and documentation of traditional cultural expressions; domestic and international copyright law; domestic and international intellectual property trade policy.

Representative Matters

• Serve as counsel to International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) on copyright and enforcement issues in key markets in Africa, Europe and Latin America.
• Represented the U.S. Copyright Office in international negotiations regarding the use, preservation, study, and archiving of traditional cultural expressions.  Exemplary work included contributions, in close collaboration with the American Folklife Center, to U.S. government policy development in the context of:
  • the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore
  • the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and
  • the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• Prepared legal memoranda and counseled U.S. government clients on U.S. copyright law and trade policy matters.  Participated in bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations regarding intellectual property protection and enforcement.
• Consulted U.S. intellectual property rights holders including art collectors, small business investors, website operators, and other creative sector businesses facing foreign trade barriers.
• Consulted with authors and licensees regarding contract termination and rights reversion issues under the 1976 Copyright Act.