USPTO, U.S. Chamber and Washington State Attorney General to Educate Washington Businesses About the Threats of Counterfeiting and Piracy and the Importance of Intellectual Property Protection Washington, D.C. —The Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will join with Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna on Friday, August 10, to present a free educational forum and news conference that will highlight the growing threats of counterfeiting and piracy, while also providing information on how businesses can protect and enforce their own intellectual property rights in the U.S. and overseas. Small businesses, which represent more than 98% of employer firms in the state of Washington*, are most at risk for counterfeiting and piracy because they often lack the knowledge and expertise to combat these problems Government and industry experts will discuss the risks and impacts of counterfeiting and piracy and how businesses can mitigate those risks by making intellectual property protection part of their business plan. They will also highlight resources that are available to help businesses protect their intellectual property rights. WHAT Free educational forum to educate businesses about the threats of counterfeiting and piracy and how to protect their intellectual property. WHO Featured speakers include: Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna Mike Shields, Chief of Staff, Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08) Brad Huther, Senior Advisor, Global Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Initiative, U.S. Chamber John Koeppen, Attorney-Advisor, USPTO Bonnie McNaughton, Senior Attorney, Worldwide Anti-Piracy Team, Microsoft Corp. Lisa Chissus, President, Flex-a-Lite Consolidated WHEN Friday, August 10, 2007 News Conference 9:00-9:45 a.m. Educational Forum 10:00-3:00 p.m. WHERE The Westin Bellevue 600 Bellevue Way SE Bellevue, WA 98004 There is no charge to attend this event. Lunch will be provided. Media who would like more information or wish to RSVP for the event should email Jennifer.Rankin_Byrne@uspto.gov or call 571-272-8400. Information on the USPTO’s efforts to educate small businesses about intellectual property theft can be found at www.stopfakes.gov/smallbusiness ### *SBA Small Business Profile