May 11, 2006
#06-29

Media Advisory, 06-29

Columbus Event Part of National Crackdown on Counterfeiting, Piracy

Washington, D.C. --U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Stephen Pinkos and Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) will join hundreds of Ohio small-businessmen and -women during a conference on "Intellectual Property in the Global Marketplace" on May 15, 2006, in Columbus, Ohio. The event is part of the federal Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP), a major U.S. government effort led by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to protect American businesses from falling victim to intellectual property theft, both at home and abroad.

During the two-day seminar, patent, trademark and copyright experts from the USPTO will provide small- and medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs and independent inventors with useful tips on protecting and enforcing their intellectual property rights in the United States and around the world.

WHAT

"Intellectual Property in the Global Marketplace" seminar.

Remarks on the global intellectual property marketplace and how small businesses, including those in Ohio, are increasingly at risk of intellectual property theft.

WHO

Deputy Under secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Stephen Pinkos

Senator George Voinovich (R-OH)

Ohio Small- and medium-size business owners, entrepreneurs and independent inventors

WHEN

May 15, 2006
Stephen Pinkos will speak at 8:30 a.m.
Senator Voinovich will speak at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE

Hyatt Capitol Square
75 East State Street
Columbus, OH

Information about USPTO efforts to educate small businesses about intellectual property theft can be found at www.stopfakes.gov/smallbusiness .

###