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Committees

Intellectual property practitioners of all types can contribute to the growth of the American Intellectual Property Law Association through the various committees listed below.

AIPLA Committees are the heart of our association. Many of the most exciting and rewarding initiatives are initiated and led by our committee communities. Joining a committee of interest is one of the best ways to connect with and engage with your peers.

AIPPI-US

AIPPI is an international organization of business firms, executives, lawyers, educators, patent and trademark agents, intellectual property owners, and other persons interested in the worldwide protection of patents, designs, trademarks, trade names, know how, goodwill, copyright, and other intellectual property rights and the elimination of unfair trade practices.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

This committee provides continuing legal education (CLE) opportunities that address procedures, methods, and approaches to resolving intellectual property disputes through mediation and arbitration and the like.

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Amicus

This Committee identifies cases having significant issues that may impact IP law or practice, considers requests for amicus participation from others pursuant to the committee's rules of procedure, and recommends to the Board of Directors that AIPLA file amicus briefs in appropriate situations.

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Antitrust

This committee monitors the laws, rules, regulations, and judicial decisions in the fields of antitrust law and trade regulation as they relate to intellectual property (IP) law.

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Biotechnology

The overall mission of the Biotechnology Committee is to serve as resource, educator, and advocate for its members, AIPLA, government institutions, and people everywhere so that the promise of Biotechnology may be more fully realized globally.

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Chemical Practice

This committee’s mission is to serve members whose work provokes and hastens ground-breaking discoveries in chemistry and launches them into emerging technologies.

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Copyright Law

The Committee is responsible for considering laws, regulations, and practices providing or affecting rights relating to copyrights.

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Corporate Practice

This committee serves the professional interests of in-house corporate counsel and IP practitioners.

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Diversity in IP

This committee’s mission is to effectively serve AIPLA members from diverse backgrounds, to encourage their professional growth, and to embrace and celebrate the diversity of AIPLA’s membership.

Electronic and Computer Law

The Committee strives to be an active resource for electronics and computer IP practitioners. It monitors domestic and foreign laws and judicial decisions related to electronic, computer and software technology.

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Emerging Technologies

The Committee focuses on investigating new emerging technologies and analyzing the technology from both a scientific and legal standpoint.

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AIPLA Fellows

The AIPLA Fellows committee is a special category of members and affiliates of the Association who are elected by the Board of Directors. The Fellows focus their activities on mentoring and on special projects brought to them by the Board and other AIPLA Committees.

Food and Drug

The Committee provides a forum for education and professional development in the area of regulatory/FDA law and, in particular, how it intersects with IP law.

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Harmonization

The purpose of this task force is to promote international patent law harmonization and uniform adoption of best practices for patent prosecution and cooperation amongst patent offices worldwide to benefit AIPLA stakeholders.

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Industrial Designs

This Committee considers design patent, trade dress, and copyright laws, rules, regulations and judicial decisions applicable to the protection of industrial designs.

International and Foreign Law

The International and Foreign Law Committee (IFLC) monitors the treaties of the United States and foreign countries and the statutes, rules, regulations, and judicial decisions of foreign countries relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights or intellectual property.

International Trade Commission

The Committee on the ITC is comprised of new and experienced practitioners who have a special interest in representing clients before the U.S. International Trade Commission ("USITC") in Section 337 investigations.

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IP Law Associations

The Committee works to increase the cooperation and information sharing between AIPLA and regional and local intellectual property law associations across the United States.

IP Practice in China

The Committee works to establish and maintain relations with professional societies in China whose members are interested in intellectual property law.

IP Practice in Europe

The IP Practice in Europe Committee works to establish and maintain relations with professional societies in Europe whose members are interested in intellectual property law. Committee members study European law and practice and report on issues of interest to the association Board of Directors and membership.

IP Practice in Israel

This Committee serves as a resource, forum, and network for AIPLA members with a personal and/or professional interest in IP laws and systems in Israel.

IP Practice in Japan

The IP Practice in Japan Commitee works to establish and maintain relations with professional societies in Japan whose members are interested in intellectual property law.

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IP Practice in Latin America

The Committee focuses on intellectual property issues involving Mexico, Central America and South America.

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IP Practice in the Far East

The Committee serves as a resource, forum, and network for AIPLA members with a personal and/or professional interest in the IP laws and systems of Asian countries, with an emphasis on South Korea and India.

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IP Transactions

The Committee considers the laws, regulations, and judicial decisions which affect the ownership, transfer and sharing of IP rights and technology.

Law Practice Management

Bi-annually, this Committee is responsible for publishing the AIPLA Economic Survey, which is a highly popular reference for annual incomes, attorney fees, and professional and demographic characteristics of IP attorneys and agents.

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Legislation

The Committee assists the Association's advocacy efforts by developing in-depth proposals and ensuring thoughtful and timely responses to proposed legislation.

Membership

This Committee provides support to the efforts of many other Committees as well as the AIPLA Board to expand membership and increase active meaningful participation by AIPLA members.

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Mentoring

The mission of the Mentoring Committee is to foster involvement in AIPLA by bringing together experienced AIPLA members with junior AIPLA members. The pairings ideally encourage involvement, participation, and retention in AIPLA.

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Mergers and Acquisitions

The Committee addresses the role of IP issues in negotiating and executing business combinations.

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New Lawyers

The New Lawyers Committee focuses on members in their first ten years of practice. The Committee provides educational and networking opportunities to new lawyers in the association through the stated meetings and receptions.

Trademark Internet (1)

Online IP Enforcement and Anti-Counterfeiting

This committee addresses the legislative, judicial, administrative, and enforcement issues relating to counterfeiting, infringement, and cybersquatting, both domestically, internationally, and online.

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Online Programs

The Committee provides high-quality, affordable CLE programs. The Committee develops and prepares technological options and vendors to work with other AIPLA committees to identify, develop and provide, efficiently and effectively, online program content to AIPLA members.

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Patent Agents

The Committee provides committee members with information of importance to patent agent practitioners, promotes the interests of patent agents within AIPLA and the patent community, and represents the interests of patent agents on issues before the Board of Directors of AIPLA.

Patent Cooperation Treaty Issues

This committee serves as a facilitator in promoting dialogue between the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the patent bar, and provides a structure that supports educational programs sponsored by a combination of the Office, the Organization, local bar associations, and individual members of the patent bar.

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Patent Law

This committee provides an open community for the exchange of ideas and concerns on U.S. patent law and underlying policy. To fulfill its charge, the Committee routinely works with policy, litigation, legislative, and prosecution experts, including in-house counsel at small to major corporations and outside counsel at boutique and general practice firms. The Committee has numerous subcommittees and is always looking for volunteers who want to get involved.

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Patent Litigation

This committee focuses on a variety of issues touching on patent litigation including judicial decisions, laws, and regulations.

Patent Relations With the USPTO

This Committee focuses on all phases of patent activity of the USPTO as it affects patent policy, practice and procedure.

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Privacy & Data Security

Privacy and Data Security are essential areas of focus in the digital age. The Privacy and Data Security Committee (Special Committee) strives to provide a forum for education, outreach, member service, advocacy, and professional development in this rapidly evolving field.

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Pro Bono

Pro Bono

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Committee on the Profession

This Committee promotes the education of AIPLA members and the public about professionalism, civility in the bar, ethics, substance abuse and mental health/well-being of IP practitioners.

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Professional Programs

The Committee plans the main educational tracks of the Annual and Spring AIPLA Meetings (“Stated Meetings”). Each Stated Meeting includes educational content that establishes AIPLA as the leading educational provider in the intellectual property area. The Committee identifies and recommends to the Board of Directors the educational programs to be conducted during the Stated Meetings.

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PTAB Trial

The PTAB Trial Committee provides up to date information on significant decisions and trends related to inter partes proceedings before the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Public Appointments

This Committee considers the qualifications of any members of the bar, referred to it by the Board of Directors, who are ready, willing, and able to accept appointments to federal office. It reports in confidence to the Board of Directors with respect to a candidate, the name of the candidate, the vacancy involved, a statement by the Committee that in its opinion the candidate is qualified, and any other information the Committee believes useful to the Board.

Standards and Open Source

This Committee considers the laws, regulations, and judicial and administrative decisions which affect collaborative technology development.

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Trade Secret Law

The Trade Secret Law Committee considers the laws, practices, and judicial decisions relating to unfair competition (excluding, except for Liaison, matters primarily involving trademarks and trade names), including the protection of trade secrets and other data maintained in confidence, interferences with contractual relationships, trade libel and slander.

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Trademark Law

This Committee is responsible for monitoring, reporting on, and providing recommendations to the AIPLA Board and the USPTO regarding US trademark law and legislation. The Trademark Law Committee also functions as the oversight committee for the other trademark-related committees, each of which provide input and support to the Professional Programs Committee regarding trademark content at AIPLA meetings.

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Trademark Litigation

The Trademark Litigation Committee considers the statutes, rules, regulations, and decisional law relating to or arising from litigation in federal and state courts in the United States that involves trademarks, trade names, or unfair competition affecting trade identity, as well as statutes, rules, regulations, and decisional law relating to or arising from such litigation in fora outside the U.S. that may affect U.S. companies, and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors in regard thereto.

Trademark Treaties and International Law

This Committee is primarily responsible for monitoring, reporting on, and providing recommendations to the AIPLA Board concerning international trademark developments and treaty amendments.

Trademark-Relations with the USPTO

This Committee, which works closely with the Trademark Law Committee, focuses on various aspects of interpartes proceedings before the USPTO, specifically the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ("TTAB").

Women in IP Law

This Committee’s Mission is inspiring and empowering women in IP to reach their potential. The Women in IP Law Committee strives to be a leader in the awareness and understanding of women’s issues in IP.