Wednesday Whimsies

This Kat is excited for a talk about IP and new technology

Finished the last of your Halloween candy? Don't worry, there's still plenty of Katfood to snack on this week:

AI Copyright Lecture

Next month, Professor Pablo Fernández Carballo-Calero (University of Vigo) will give a lecture on the topic "Artificial intelligence works: towards a new concept of author in the field of Copyright Law?" The lecture is being hosted by City, University of London, on Tuesday 5 December 2023 from 17:30-19:00. Attendance is free - register here.

IP Finance Dialogue

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is holding the IP Finance Dialogue: Expanding Horizons on IP Finance and Valuation on November 21, 2023. The event aims to provide a platform where valuation and IP professionals, industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and investors can convene to explore alternative strategies and novel approaches to unlock intangible assets and IP finance. The event will take place in hybrid format at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva and over Zoom. Details and registration here.

Trademarks and Free Speech

Last week, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Vidal v. Elster. Steve Elster attempted to register the phrase “TRUMP TOO SMALL” for use on various types of shirts, intending the mark to serve as political commentary on President Donald Trump and his policies. The Court is considering the question of whether the refusal to register a trademark when the mark contains criticism of a government official or public figure violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. This is the third time in six years the Court has been asked to address the relationship between trademark registration and free speech. Readers may wish to revisit the IPKat's coverage of the Tam and Brunetti decisions while awaiting the Court's next opinion.