A Primer on Intellectual Property Law and Copyright for Funders

Tuesday, May 11, 2:00 EDT/ 11:00 PDT   [PASSED]
Robert C. Cumbow, Shareholder, Graham & Dunn, PC
Fidelma McGinn, Executive Director, Artist Trust

Session 1 of the 2010 Web Conference Series

Description:

Does the phrase 'artistic license' really give an artist the license to be creative? When is fair use really fair? This session will provide an overview of intellectual property law, including brass tacks definitions of legal terminology and best practices. With a specific focus on intellectual property considerations for funders, presenters will also share examples of real cases that illustrate what is and is not protected under IP law.

Presenter Bios:

Robert C. Cumbow practices intellectual property and related commercial law at Graham & Dunn in Seattle, WA, where he focuses on trademark, copyright, Internet, media, publishing, and advertising issues for a wide range of clients. He also counsels artists and arts and entertainment organizations in intellectual property and media law issues. Bob is a three-time graduate of Seattle University (B.A. 1967 and M.A in English 1969, J.D. 1991), where he teaches Trademark Law and Advertising Law. He also teaches in the university’s Film Studies Program. He is a volunteer and two-time past Board Member for Washington Lawyers for the Arts, and a member and past board member of the Washington State Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section. He writes on law, language, and film, and is the author of a quarterly column on language and writing skills in the Washington State Bar News.

Fidelma McGinn is the Executive Director of Artist Trust, a nonprofit granting organization serving individual artists of all creative disciplines throughout Washington state. Prior to this position she was Executive Director at San Francisco’s Film Arts Foundation, and at 911 Media Arts Center, Seattle’s one-stop resource for independent filmmakers. Her career began at Microsoft Corporation, where she spent seven years developing successful localization strategies for the Desktop Applications Division for products sold across the world. She has a degree in Marketing and Communications from the College of Commerce in Dublin and is a graduate of Stanford Graduate Business School’s prestigious program for Executive Leadership in the Non-profit Arts. Fidelma’s insight, energy, and ability to connect the right people keep her in demand on both sides of the fundraising table at the local, state, and national levels. She holds board positions with the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (two years as Board Chair); Richard Hugo House; Ninth Street Independent Film Center; Washington State Arts Alliance; and Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media. Fidelma has served as a panelist and nominator for grantmakers such as the Rockefeller Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Rasmusen Foundation, and 4Culture. In 2010 she was appointed to serve on the Seattle Arts Commission.