Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Global Future of Industrial Design Protection, a Lecture



















From our friends at Pitt Law: we want to thank them about informing us on this very interesting event.

The Global Future of Industrial Design Protection

Thursday, February 26th 2009
4-5:30PM

This program is free and open to the public. A reception for all attendees will
follow the program.


Featuring:
The 2009 Distinguished Intellectual Property Law Lecture:
“The European Community Design Right: A Uniquely Tailored System for Protecting Industrial Designs”
by Prof. Dr. Annette Kur
Unit Head, Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law

Followed by:
Panel Discussion:
“The Future of Industrial Design Protection in the United States, Europe, and Beyond”

The burgeoning field of industrial design generates the unique and appealing appearance of products ranging from digital music players and automobile parts to convenience foods and furniture. A wide variety of intellectual property regimes protect the creativity invested in industrial design. The European Union broke new ground in 2002 by enacting the Community Design Right. In Egyptian Goddess v. Swisa (2007), the en banc Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rewrote the standards for U.S. design patent infringement.

More details:

The 2009 Distinguished Intellectual Property Lecturer, Prof. Dr. Annette Kur, stands at the
forefront of international legal protection for industrial design. She is a senior research staff member and head of unit at the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and
Tax Law in Munich, Germany. Kur spearheaded the Max Planck working group proposal that formed the basis of the European Union’s Community Design Right legislation. Kur currently serves as president of the prestigious International Association for the Advancement
of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property. During the spring 2009 semester, she is a visiting professor in the Hauser Global Law School Program at New York University School of Law. Kur, who recieved law and doctor degrees from Munich University, has authored books and numerous articles in the field of national, European and international trademark, unfair competition, and industrial design law as well as international jurisdiction and choice of law. Following Kur’s lecture, a panel will join her to debate the future of industrial design protection in the United States, Europe, and beyond.

The panelists are:
Donald S. Chisum, author of the treatise Chisum on Patents;
Janice M. Mueller, Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law; and
Daniel H. Brean, Esq., the Webb Law Firm, Pittsburgh.

Monday, January 26, 2009

What you Missed on the Back of the Envelope

Here's the Audio Podcast from the Back of the Envelope event. Thanks to EcoDesign Guild Pittsburgh for making the podcast and allowing us to link to it on their site!

http://ecodesignersguild.blogspot.com/2009/01/edg-podcasts-subscribe-free-add-to-my.html

Enjoy!

Friday, January 23, 2009

What an evening!

Thank you to all who attended our first event of 2009! The Back of the Envelope was a huge success. With 40 in attendance from all four major design groups in Pittsburgh, we really helped foster a sense of community.

We want to thank the three restaurants who graciously opened their doors to us:
Oh Yeah! Ice Cream http://www.customswirl.com/
Casbah www.bigburrito/casbah
Abay http://www.abayrestaurant.com/

Art Groll of the Frank Parsons Paper company started us off with some basic sustainability practices in the paper world. Not only did we mention recycled content and FSC but newer certifications, and the importance of us all making the right choices in print materials.

Ryan Walsh of Restorative Events presented some basic tips about resetting our own minds on the "green revolution." Small steps and thoughtful education are far more impactful than the more militant practices of many misinformed well-doers. Use plastics marked with #'s 1, 2, and 3, and avoid 6 if at all possible. Ryan will be making a PDF available to us with the outline of his presentation- stay tuned!

Then the IxDA's Onny Chatterjee closed the evening with a participatory construction of a "Sustainable Pittsburgh" map. This map will later be hosted on the IxDA site and will highlight some of the more ecofriendly businesses and locations in the city.

Be sure to check out the photos on our IDSA Flickr Page- click on the link in the right column and look for the "Back of the Envelope."

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Back of the Envelope: Sustainable Restaurant Crawl

Brought to you by
IDSA, AIGA, eDG, and IxDA

When: Thursday January 22nd, 2009 @ 6:30 PM
Where: Crawl begins at Oh Yeah! Ice Cream and Coffee
www.customswirl.com – 232 S. Highland Ave. Pgh.

How: RSVP to
julia@bright-innovation.com by January 15th and you’ll pay the $12 per person discounted rate. All others pay $15 at the door. First 10 people to arrive will receive a handmade eDG grocery bag!


What could be better than spending a winter evening getting to know your local design and sustainabiliy minded colleagues while indulging at three nearby restaurants who serve up locally grown and organic food, wine and beer?

Nothing, you say?

Well, eDG, IDSA, AIGA, and IXDA chapters of Pittsburgh would like to invite you to join us for an evening of food and drink.

Come ready to share your thoughts, ideas, and desires for a more sustainable Pittsburgh. We'll start at Oh Yeah! Ice Cream and Coffee, hosted by AIGA, move on to Casbah (www.bigburrito.com/casbah) with events and food hosted by IDSA, and wrap up the fun at ABAY (www.abayrestaurant.com) with events and food hosted by IXDA.

Hope to see you there! RSVP today!