Panel on Protecting Intellectual Property Added to 2011 Social Media Summit

Aug. 25, 2011 - PRLog -- Harrisburg University of Science and Technology has added an additional panel to the free 2011 Social Media Summit, set for September 14, 2011.  

The rise of social media creates a variety of intellectual property issues for users, brand owners, and website operators. Who owns accounts and content online? Who is liable when intellectual property rights are violates? How can brands ensure their intellectual property is protected and respected on social media platforms?

Erik Pelton, founder of Erik M. Pelton & Associates, PLLC®, a boutique trademark law firm in Falls Church, Virginia, will lead the panel, Social Media and Intellectual Property Issues.  The panel will discuss the many copyright and trademark issues generated by social media and provide tools for users and businesses to reduce the risk of generating intellectual property problems.

Prior to starting the firm, Pelton worked for two years as an examiner at the US Patent and Trademark Office. In more than a decade of private practice, he’s registered in excess of 1500 US trademarks for clients, represented dozens of parties in trademark disputes. He has spoken on social media issues to a variety of audiences, including at the American Bar Association’s annual meeting. He is also the creator of an iPhone application for intellectual property professionals called Apptorney®.

The community is invited to attend the free 2011 Social Media Summit at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.   Set for September 14, 2011, the Social Media Summit consists of various panel discussions examining the far-reaching impact of social networks on politics, parenting, entrepreneurship, training and education, world affairs, and the military.  This free event is ideal for parents, budding journalists, corporate leaders, advocates, non-profit groups, military personnel, HR directors and managers, business owners, college students and others who wish to think about the impact of social media.

More than 200 people have registered for the event which will feature panelists from around the nation, including:

Christian Spielvogel Associate Professor of Communication at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and Co-founder of Flip Learning, a digital publishing company that inverts or "flips" traditional educational and training content into social and game-based interactive learning environments.

Paula Ketter, editor of ASTD periodicals who oversees the publication of ASTD’s flagship monthly magazine T+D (Training + Development).

Dr. Sherrie A. Madia, author of the bestselling book, The Online Job Search Survival Guide.

Ira S. Wolfe, author of the new book Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization: How to Manage the Unprecedented Convergence of the Wired, the Tired, and Technology in the Workplace.

Linda Fogg Phillips, author of Facebook for Parents, Answers to the Top 25 Questions and The Facebook Guide for Parents

Dallas Lawrence, Managing Director of Digital Public Affairs for Burson-Marsteller.

Sue Hoppin, founder and president of the National Military Spouse Network

Eric Sauve, Vice President, Corporate Development, NewsGator Technologies.

Nicole Radziwill, author of several books including, Disconnected: Technology Addiction & the Search for Authenticity in Virtual Life (2010) and The Undergrad Jungle Book: A Top Secret Collection of Tips, Tricks and Disclosures to Help You Brave the Wild Terrain of Undergraduate Academics (2011).

S. Shyam Sundar, Ph.D., distinguished professor and founding director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory (http://www.psu.edu/dept/medialab) at Penn State University’s College of Communications.

Joseph Carrabis, Senior Research Fellow at USC Annenberg's Center for the Digital Future.

Professor Dennis Murphy, Director of the Information in Warfare Group at Center for Strategic Leadership, U.S. Army War College where he teaches information operations and strategic communication elective courses and conducts workshops focused on the information element of power.

Izzy Neiss, VP of User Engagement at kids’ social media platform Everloop.

Dr. Michael G Zey is the author of several books dealing with the social and economic impact of technology, leadership, mentoring, the superlongevity revolution, career development and other issues.

Additional panels at the event include: Using Social Networks for Training and Education; Social Networking and the Job Search; Social Media & Legal Issues for Employers; Parenting the Facebook Generation; Social Media and Political Change; Social Networks and the Military; Social Networks and the Life Sciences; Unplugged: Disconnecting from Social Media; and The Future of Social Networking: 140 Characters at a Time.

Learn more about the 2011 Social Media Summit online at www.HarrisburgU.edu/SocialMediaSummit

RSVP to this free event via email at Connect@HarrisburgU.edu or http://www.harrisburgu.edu/news/event-registration.php

The University is located at 326 Market Street in Harrisburg.  Parking is available in the Harrisburg Parking Authority operated garage accessible via Fourth Street. Cost for parking in the garage is $5.00 for 0-2 hours.  Kiosk for parking accepts cash only.  More information on parking rates and directions to the University are found online at http://www.harrisburgu.net/campuslife/directions.php#parking

Founded in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the University's demand-driven undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in applied science and technology fields, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu

# # #

Established in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution.