North Dakota (ND) Trademark Law CLE Course Catalog

When Facebook’s parent company changed its name to “Meta,” was that the first time you heard the term “Metaverse”? What is “The Metaverse” and what legal issues does it raise as people begin to socialize, work and share experiences in this new virtual/augmented reality space? In the latest installment of this popular series, Peter Afrasiabi answers these important questions that already are creating issues of first impression in copyright, trademark, right of publicity, criminal and sex law.

Experienced intellectual property lawyer Peter Afrasiabi reveals these traps for the unwary, including moral rights in certain art works, statutory damages for copyright infringement, and lack of copyright ownership for works created by independent contractors and trademark counterfeiting mistakes, and what steps you can take to protect your clients from these risks.

In the latest installment of “The Curious Lawyer” series, Peter Afrasiabi answers these and other key questions that surround the use of generative artificial intelligence tools to create deepfakes.

Join us to examine the convoluted litigation history that underlies this immensely popular, global motion picture franchise. Peter chronicles the key legal disputes that plagued the franchise for much of its storied history, and discusses the interesting and complex legal issues those disputes raised.

Join us to hear from speakers Steven Weigler of EmergeCounsel and Steven D. Lustig of Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP as they delve into an in-depth discussion of trademark protection and the latest developments in the international legal arena. Speakers will also offer insights and practical tips to protect and defend their trademarks on a global scale.

Are we alone in the universe? While he doesn’t answer this question, in the latest installment of “The Curious Lawyer” series, Peter Afrasiabi reviews the scope of FOIA and FOIA litigation over government documents relating to UFO sightings as well as the law that governs fascinating issues such as ownership of the moon, comets and other extraterrestrial objects.

As business continues to evolve into a more globalized workforce, GCs are being tasked with setting up international offices, aligning resources and coverage, and deciding where to build out legal teams. Understanding cross borders Communications and cultural differences have become business essential, not just to get deals done, but also to maintain strong cross-border partnerships. Join our panelists as they discuss the role of legal in international relations, and share their expertise and lived experiences with all international business dealings.

Conversations around generative artificial intelligence are dominating the social stratosphere. By simulating human cognitive thinking, generative AI can produce new types of text, imagery, audio, and synthetic data by using patterns and informational elements obtained from prior works. Because generative AI often relies on pools of data and third-party creations to create new content, there is a concern that generative AI may, whether intentionally or inadvertently, exploit copyright-protected content to develop purportedly original content. Organizations that leverage generative AI tools should be mindful of how the tools are used in a commercial context to mitigate the risk of infringing uses. Likewise, owners of intellectual property should be aware of how their works are used by generative AI models and the users of these tools, and timely action should be taken to defend intellectual property against infringement.

When is a trademark famous enough to receive heightened protection under federal law, including protection from being diluted by other similar marks? Peter Afrasiabi discusses the key contours of trademark law and trademark dilution claims in the context of litigation over famous marks including Jack Daniels, Porsche, Victoria’s Secret, Sony, Spotify and Pinterest.