| Contacts: | Jeff Joseph tel: 703 907-7664 e-mail: jjoseph@CE.org |
Megan Pollock tel: 703-907-7668 e-mail: mpollock@CE.org |
New CEA Conference Examines Tensions Among Intellectual Property Protection, Creativity And Technology Fair Use
Top Government Officials And Industry Leaders To Debate Balance Between IP And Innovation
| Arlington, Virginia | 2/15/2005 |
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today announced the updated program and panelists for IP and Creativity - Redefining the Issue, a new conference produced by CEA to be held March 16, 2005, at the Washington D.C. Convention Center. The intellectual property (IP) conference is a new CEA event examining the tension between creativity, technology, innovation and intellectual property protection.
Throughout the day, panelists and attendees will debate how technology has changed cultural behavior, changed legacy business models and jeopardized innovation and creativity on a broad scale. Conference speakers to date include: Hank Barry, partner, Hummer Winbald Venture Partners; Mark Cuban, chairman and president, HDnet; Alan Davidson, associate director, Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT); Professor Richard Florida, author, The Rise of the Creative Class, The Flight of the Creative Class; Charles Kolb, president, Committee for Economic Development; Dr. Paul Liao, vice president and CTO, Panasonic Corp. of North America; Professor Stan Liebowitz, professor of managerial economics, University of Texas at Dallas; Stacie Rumenap, deputy directory/CPAC director, American Conservative Union (ACU); Gigi Sohn, president and co-founder, Public Knowledge; Professor Koleman Strumpf, associate professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Fred von Lohmann, senior staff attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Hot topics will include legislation like the ill-fated Induce Act and the upcoming Supreme Court reexamination of the Sony Betamax doctrine in the Grokster case. The 1984 Sony Betamax case set the legal standard that a product is legal if it has substantial legal uses. The Supreme Court will revisit this decision in examining legality of the Grokster file-sharing service.
IP & Creativity will conclude with a final panel of industry leaders including: Mitch Bainwol, chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); Dan Glickman, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA); Kevin McGuiness, executive director and counsel of NetCoalition and Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA.
"This year will be a watershed moment for many of the key policy issues facing the consumer technology industry," said Shapiro. "The top public and private sector players will be on hand at this conference to explore and attempt to redefine the debate so government leaders and consumers understand that not every download equals a lost sale, that efforts to protect IP must be balanced against the right to innovate and consumers' fair use rights and that U.S. leadership in creativity and technology advances must be preserved."
The IP & Creativity conference will follow the 10th annual HDTV Summit and the first Digital Patriots Dinner. The HDTV Summit brings together members of Congress, federal government agency officials and key staff along with top representatives from the broadcast, cable, satellite and consumer electronics industries. At this year's summit, attendees will hear industry leaders discuss the analog cut-off date, DTV penetration rates and opportunities for the returned analog spectrum.
CEA's new Digital Patriots Dinner also will be held the evening of March 15 at the Convention Center. The event honors industry and government officials who are leading the fight to protect innovation. The event features the induction of the inaugural class of "Digital Patriots," from the U.S. Congress and the technology industry and a product showcase demonstrating the vibrant consumer electronics industry's past, present and future.
Event registration is online at www.ce.org/IPandCreativity.
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $110 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.
CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.