July 17, 2006
#06-48

PRESS RELEASE, 06-48

U.S. GOVERNMENT BRINGS COPYRIGHT PROGRAM TO TENNESSEE

PRESS RELEASE

Seminar addresses state of copyright in the digital age

Nashville, TN - United States Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property Stephen Pinkos and Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) today spoke with over 300 of America's intellectual-property creators and entrepreneurs about U.S. copyright laws, explaining how attendees can protect their creations in the digital age and in a global economy.

Both Pinkos and Blackburn emphasized the importance of considering copyright issues when building a business. "The Internet and other technological advances demand that America's entrepreneurs think about copyright issues first - not last," Pinkos emphasized. "If this seminar does anything, we hope it spreads the word that a copyright plan should be part of a smart business model."

The Nashville seminar is the latest in a series the USPTO is hosting across the country to help educate American innovators and businesses about protecting their intellectual property. During the one-day seminar in Nashville, copyright experts from the USPTO, and other government agencies, as well as experts from the media and private sector, provided attendees with information and useful tips about protecting and enforcing their copyrights in the United States and around the world.

This program is part of the federal government's Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP) and the USPTO's continuing commitment to increase public awareness of intellectual property rights and the enforcement of those rights in the global marketplace.

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