Copyright lawyer to review basics for media professionals, Tuesday
The National Press Club's Photo Team will explore the basics of copyright law on Tuesday, Nov. 1, with lunch at noon, followed by a discussion of copyright law at 1 p.m., in the Cosgrove Lounge.
For those unable to attend in person, a Zoom option is available, starting with the 1 p.m. discussion. All Club members may attend free of charge (buy your own lunch), but registration is requested, for both the in-person and Zoom versions.
Many creative professionals today are finding their work stolen and appearing on the web or social media. At the same time, many publishers are facing baseless charges of copyright violations, with demands for monetary damages. One way content creators can protect themselves in this environment is to know the basics of copyright law. Joshua Kaufman, partner and head of the Copyright and Licensing Group at the law firm Venable LLP will appear at the meeting. Kaufman counsels and litigates on copyright, trademarks, and other intellectual property, as well as media, entertainment, and literary law. He represents Agence France-Presse and Getty Images, as well as other media clients. He was an early practitioner in computer and cyber law, and is an artist and gallery owner. Kaufman will describe basic concepts of copyright and best practices for media professionals. Participants in this session will be able to recognize and identify elements of intellectual property and copyright for media pros, including the value of copyright protections, when to register a copyright, and fair use exemptions for news reporting. Kaufman will also discuss actions content creators and publishers can take to protect their work against unauthorized use, as well as deal with unfounded accusations of copyright violations. Club members and guests can begin the session by purchasing lunch from the Reliable Source at noon. The discussion of copyright law with Kaufman begins at 1 p.m. The talk portion of the meeting will be available remotely over Zoom beginning at 1 p.m. The event is open to all Club members and free of charge, but please follow registration instructions. Please indicate in-person or remote participation. Remote participants will be sent the Zoom link and presentation slides in advance of the session. Advance reading: Learn how White House photographer Pete Souza and Photo Team co-chair Alan Kotok recently dealt with copyright bullies, in this NPC Journalism Institute blog post.