GIPLA Calendar of Events

During its association year, which usually runs from September to May, GIPLA holds monthly luncheon meetings at which a speaker makes a presentation on a topic of interest to the membership. Each March, we hold a full day Intellectual Property Law Conference at which continuing legal education credits may be earned (presently accredited for CLE in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio). Occasionally the meetings are held at special locations and attendance is limited to members only. In the past this has included a luncheon hosted by the British Embassy

Upcoming Events:

Past Events From The 2009-2010 Season:

Upcoming Events:

Past Events From The 2009-2010 Season:

September 2009: Hiatus

Topic: Open Source Software (OSS): Ms. Allums will present on the draft CENDI Open Source FAQs and the legal and practical issues for Government agencies interested in using OSS.  Ms. Allums also will comment on DISA's efforts in this area.

Speakers: Vicki Allums, of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)

Time: 11:30am - social time; 12:00pm - lunch

Cost: Bring Your Own Lunch (BYOL)

Location:Department of Commerce (DOC), Room 1410; 1401 Constitution Ave. (Directions: PDF format)

Lunch: For those who would like to purchase your lunch, the DOC has a great cafeteria located in the basement of the building, reachable via the building’s main entrance or the Reagan Tunnel.  (Directions: PDF format)

RSVP: To the Secretary (Sarah Scwartz, 202-482-8038), or the President (Phil Greene) -- but you can still attend even if you didn't RSVP.

November 18, 2009: Luncheon with guest speaker

Topic: The Ins and Outs of Trademark Searches on TESS, including Word and Design Searches (And
anything else you'd like to ask of our experts!)

Speaker: Tom Turner and Hope Slonim from the USPTO

Time: 11:30am - social hour; 12:00 - 1:30pm - lunch and presentation.

Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members. Bring Your Own Lunch (BYOL)

Location: New Room!! Rm. 4813; Dept. of Commerce; 1401 Constitution Ave. (Directions: PDF format)

December 17, 2009: Luncheon with guest speaker

Topic: Creating "Works of the US Government" -- Copyright (& other Intellectual Property) Guidelines for Federal Government Employees & Contractors. Federal agencies typically have broad policy statements that recognize and respect copyrights in accordance with US and International Copyright Law and generally require written permission be obtained to use copyrighted material for agency purposes.  Typically, the guidance ends there.  But, to comply with the policy, employees need to know the basics of copyright and when (and how) to seek permission.  Bonnie Klein, Co-Chair of the CENDI Copyright Working, will discuss plans to create a practical, plain-English guide and checklists to aid government employee and contractor authors navigate the copyright maze

Speaker: Bonnie Klein, Co-Chair of the CENDI Copyright Working Group

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 lunch and presentation.  BYOL  *Presentation will begin at Noon sharp (social half-hour has been moved to the end of mtg)*

Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members. Bring Your Own Lunch (BYOL)

Location: Rm. 1410, main floor; Dept. of Commerce; 1401 Constitution Ave.  (Directions: PDF format)

January 25, 2010: Luncheon with guest speaker

Topic: Patent Law Treaty and the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement (Recently Ratified)

Speaker: Karin Ferriter, Patent Attorney, Office of Intellectual Property Policy and Enforcement of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) [Extended bio below]

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 lunch and presentation.  BYOL  *Presentation will begin at Noon sharp (social half-hour has been moved to the end of mtg)*

Cost: $5 for members, $10 for non-members. Bring Your Own Lunch (BYOL)

Location: Rm. 2067, 2^nd floor; Dept. of Commerce; 1401 Constitution Ave.  (Directions: PDF format)

Speaker Bio: Karin Ferriter is a Patent Attorney with the Office of Intellectual Property Policy and Enforcement of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  Ms. Ferriter has extensive experience in patent law and practice, having worked at the USPTO for over 20 years in a variety of different positions. Prior to her current position, Ms. Ferriter was a Legal Advisor in the USPTO Office of Patent Legal Administration, where her responsibilities included writing rules and guidelines on U.S. patent practice, patent term extension applications, and certain specialized petitions. Ms. Ferriter also served as a USPTO advisor for the negotiation of the 1999 Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs.  In her current position, Ms. Ferriter has worked on the legislation to implement the Geneva Act and the PLT, and drafted rules to implement this legislation once past.  In addition Ms. Ferriter is working as a member of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) task force to improve the USPTO's processing of PCT applications, and to reform the PCT.  Ms. Ferriter participates in several activities of the World Intellectual Property Organization, including meetings related to the PCT and the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (the IGC), as well as of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).  In addition, Ms. Ferriter has represented the USPTO in meetings of the World Health Organization, the Convention on Biological Diversity, Patent Trilateral Meetings, and Trademark Trilataral Meetings. Ms. Ferriter is the author of numerous Official Gazette Notices and publications, including, "The Role of the Patent and Trademark Office under 35 U.S.C. Section 156," published in the Food and Drug Law Journal, Vol. 54, No. 2 (1999), and was previously the assistant editor of the Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society.  Ms. Ferriter has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lowell, and a law degree from the George Mason School of Law.

February 2010: Luncheon with guest speaker.

Topic: TBD

Speaker: TBD

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 lunch and presentation.  BYOL  *Presentation will begin at Noon sharp (social half-hour has been moved to the end of mtg)*

Location:TBD (Directions: PDF format)

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