The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) invited members of the public to a roundtable discussion about the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and legal protections for individuals’ reputations and name, image, voice, likeness (NIL), and other indicators of identity.
This was an opportunity to provide input on:
- Whether existing legal protections for individuals’ NIL and reputations are sufficient
- How these legal protections intersect with other intellectual property (IP) laws
- How AI technology impacts existing legal protections for NIL and reputation
The feedback received assisted the USPTO’s work to develop IP policy recommendations regarding the intersection of AI and IP, in accordance with the Executive Order on AI issued by President Biden in October 2023.
The roundtable consisted of two sessions: A morning in-person session at USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and an afternoon virtual session.
Additional details about the roundtable are in the Federal Register Notice published July 1, 2024.
Video and transcript
A video recording and transcript, of this event, are now available.
Agenda
Agenda Roundtables pursuant to 7/1/2024 Federal Register Notice.
In-person roundtable, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
9:30 - 9:40 a.m. | Opening remarks (recorded)
- Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
9:45 - 9:50 a.m. | Introduction
- Ann Chaitovitz, Copyright Attorney, USPTO Office of Policy and International Affairs
9:50 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | In-person roundtable
- Motion Picture Association (MPA) — Benjamin Sheffner, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Law and Policy
- Recording Academy — Michael Lewan, Managing Director, State and Federal Advocacy, Recording Academy
- HAND — Will Kreth, CEO
- Digital Media Association (DIMA) — Charles Colin Rushing, General Counsel and EVP
- National Association of Voice Actors — Tim Friedlander, President/Co-Founder
- Sheppard Mullin — James Gatto, AI Team leader
- Child Safety Advocate/CEO IGGY Ventures LLC — Patrick Lane
- Chamber of Progress — Aden Hizkias, Policy Analyst
- Adobe, Inc. — J. Scott Evans
- MLB Players Association, Inc. — Shawn McDonald, SVP Business and Legal Affairs
- Endeavor — Jonathan Seiden, SVP, Associate General Counsel
- Entertainment Software Association — Bijou Mgbojikwe, Senior Policy Counsel
- International Trademark Association (INTA) — Andrew J. Avsec, Chair, Right of Publicity Committee
- Authors Guild — Umair Kazi, Director of Policy and Advocacy
Virtual roundtable 2 - 4:05 p.m.
2 - 2:10 p.m. | Opening remarks (recorded)
- Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
2:10 - 2:15 p.m. | Introduction
- Jeffrey Martin, Trademark Attorney, USPTO Office of Policy and International Affairs
2:15 - 4:00 p.m. | Virtual roundtable
- Innovate@UCLA — Beverly Macy, Executive Board Member
- Electronic Frontier Foundation — Corynne McSherry, Legal Director
- Aranovich Law Firm, PC — Natalia Aranovich, Law Firm Founder
- SAG-AFTRA — Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator
- Public Knowledge — Nicolas (“Nick”) Garcia, Senior Policy Counsel
- SL DeBarros Law Firm, LLC — Sivonnia DeBarros
- Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) — Thomas Clees, Senior Vice-President, Federal Public Policy
- Engine Advocacy and Foundation — Jill Crosby, Policy Analyst
- Business Software Alliance — Joseph Whitlock, Director, Policy
- Re:Create Coalition — Brandon Butler, Executive Director
- Policy Bandwidth — Jonathan Band
4 - 4:05 p.m. | Closing remarks
- Jeffrey Martin, Trademark Attorney, USPTO Office of Policy and International Affairs
Additional information
For more information, contact Lakeshia Harley in the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs.
Accessibility accommodation
If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please submit your request to the contact information listed above.