Meaghan Hemmings Kent focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation, including copyright, trademark, false advertising, trade secret, patent, right of publicity and domain name matters. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a Registered Patent Attorney. Her litigation experience covers diverse industries including: traditional and online media; software and electronics; music; photography and artwork; medical devices and pharmaceuticals; consumer products and toys; and construction and architecture. She has appeared before federal and state courts all over the country, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Ms. Kent has particular experience in resolving online disputes, including cyberpiracy and domain name matters (ACPA and UDRP), keyword advertising disputes, social media policies, Digital Millennium Copyright Act matters, and publicity, copyright, trademark, and counterfeit matters with social networking sites and other online venues. She has successfully litigated numerous domain name disputes before federal courts and arbitrators such as WIPO. She is a member of Venable's Domain Name and Cyberpiracy Team which advises clients on Internet domain name disputes and worldwide domain name registration and policing strategies.
Ms. Kent's practice also includes intellectual property counseling and transactional work, including licensing, media transactions, developing intellectual property portfolios, brand management strategy, and conducting intellectual property audits. Her experience includes copyright and trademark acquisition and licensing.
Ms. Kent is a member of Venable's Advertising and Marketing team, which was selected in 2010 and 2011 as a recipient of the Chambers USA Award of Excellence, recognized by Legal 500, and in 2011, selected as Law Firm of the Year for National Advertising by U.S. News & World Report. Ms. Kent is also a member of Venable's Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force and Advertising Litigation team.
Activities
Ms. Kent is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing at George Washington University Law School where she teaches and advises students on the AIPLA law journal, and is a guest lecturer on Copyright Litigation for American University Law School's Art Law course.
Ms. Kent serves as an editor of Venable's premier intellectual property news publication, IP Buzz. She is a frequent speaker and writer regarding intellectual property matters, authoring two books (one forthcoming) for Oxford University Press.
Ms. Kent enjoys serving clients pro bono, including advising clients through Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts regarding copyright and other intellectual property disputes.
Ms. Kent also serves as the Board Member in Charge of the Virginia/Maryland/DC Chapter of Women in Toys.
Industries
Consumer Products and Services
Life Sciences
New Media, Media and Entertainment
Emerging Companies: Venable Venture Services
Toys and Games
Judicial Clerkships
Honorable Paul R. Haerle, California Court of Appeal
Honorable Edward M. Chen, Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Memberships
American Bar Association (Intellectual Property Section)
American Intellectual Property Law Association
DRI - Commercial Litigation Section
Florida Bar and the District of Columbia Bar (Intellectual Property Section)
Women in Toys - Board Member in Charge of the VA/MD/DC Chapter
News
February 14, 2012, BIO and PhRMA file amicus brief for Marine Polymer Technologies Federal Circuit en banc review on patent reexamination
November 10, 2011, Meaghan Hemmings Kent and Joshua Kaufman book reviewed by Patent Barista
January 21, 2011, Venable team files complaint on behalf of Sony Ericsson for logo trademark infringement
October 21, 2010, Venable team files amicus brief in Supreme Court in eBay counterfeiting case
July 15, 2010, Joshua Kaufman and Meaghan Kent appointed adjunct professors at George Washington University Law School
June 29, 2010, Meaghan Hemmings Kent and Joshua Kaufman book reviewed in the Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice
September 1, 2009, An Associate's Guide to the Practice of Copyright Law by Joshua J. Kaufman and Meaghan Hemmings Kent reviewed by 1709 Copyright Blog
July 20, 2009, Second Circuit hears oral argument in landmark Tiffany v. eBay case
Publications
Ms. Kent serves as an editor of Venable's premier intellectual property news publication, IP Buzz and has authored numerous articles and the book An Associate's Guide To The Practice Of Copyright Law, published by Oxford University Press. She is currently working on the second edition of An Associate's Guide To The Practice Of Copyright Law and An Associate's Guide To The Practice Of Trademark Law, both forthcoming by Oxford in early 2013. A sampling of other publications includes the following:
May 2012, IP Buzz - May 2012
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Elissa Brockbank Reese, Lindsay B. Meyer, John F. Cooney, Kelly Suzanne Herman, Carrie A. Kroll, Janet F. Satterthwaite, Ariel S. Wolf, Justin E. Pierce, Marcella Ballard, Deborah A. Feinblum, Gregory J. Sater,Randal M. Shaheen, Amy Ralph Mudge, Annie H. Lee, Damon W.D. Wright
IP Buzz
May 2012, Venable Vitae - May 2012
Fabian M. Koenigbauer, Ralph S. Tyler, Therese M. Finan, Michael A. Gollin,Meaghan Hemmings Kent
April 2012, IP Buzz - April 2012
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Clifton E. McCann, Elissa Brockbank Reese,Jacqueline Levasseur Patt, Peter Curtin, Brett A. Garner, Melissa C. McLaughlin,Deborah A. Feinblum, Justin E. Pierce, Marcella Ballard
IP Buzz
March 2012, IP Buzz - March 2012
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Clifton E. McCann, Elissa Brockbank Reese, Jeffrey D. Knowles, Christopher S. Crook, Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Lars H. Genieser, Ph.D., Michael A. Gollin, Fabian M. Koenigbauer, Meaghan Hemmings Kent
IP Buzz
March 29, 2012, Federal Circuit Clarifies the Scope of Intervening Rights
Michael A. Gollin, Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Fabian M. Koenigbauer
March 16, 2012
The Public Domain - Is it going to
The Birds?
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
February 17, 2012, IP Buzz - February 2012
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Elissa Brockbank Reese
IP Buzz
February 16, 2012, Federal Circuit Vacates Opinion in
Marine Polymer Technologies, Inc. v. Hemcon, Inc., Agreeing to Rehearing
En Banc ; Venable files amicus brief on behalf of industry associations
Michael A. Gollin, Meaghan Hemmings Kent
January 2012, IP Buzz - January 2012
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Elissa Brockbank Reese, Janet F. Satterthwaite, Jeffrey D. Knowles, Peter Curtin, Lars H. Genieser, Ph.D., James E. Nelson, Keith G. Haddaway, Ph.D., Marcella Ballard, Roger A. Colaizzi
IP Buzz
November 2011, IP Buzz - November 2011
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Elissa Brockbank Reese
IP Buzz
October 2011, IP Buzz - October 2011
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Elissa Brockbank Reese
IP Buzz
September 2011, IP Buzz - September 2011
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Elissa Brockbank Reese
IP Buzz
August 18, 2011, Advertising News & Analysis - August 18, 2011
Jeffrey D. Knowles, Gary D. Hailey, Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Claudia A. Lewis-Eng, Melissa Landau Steinman
Advertising Alert
June 2011, IP News & Comment - June 2011
Marcella Ballard, David D. Conway, William D. Coston, Christopher S. Crook,Henry J. Daley, Ph.D., Todd R. Farnsworth, Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Christopher Ma, Janet F. Satterthwaite
IP Buzz
June 10, 2011, Supreme Court Upholds Clear and Convincing Evidence Standard in
Microsoft v. i4i
Clifton E. McCann, Meaghan Hemmings Kent
June 10, 2011, Supreme Court Upholds Clear and Convincing Evidence Standard in
Microsoft v. i4i
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
DRI Today
April 19, 2011, Hot Bench for
Microsoft v. i4i Oral Argument
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
DRI Today
Spring 2011, International Protection of Your Copyright
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
Exaggerated Features - The Caricaturist's Quarterly
February 2011, Counterfeits and Infringements: Problems and Solutions
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
October 2010, U.S. Trade Representative Seeks Public Comment For List of Markets Notorious for Counterfeiting
Roger A. Colaizzi, Lindsay B. Meyer, Joshua J. Kaufman, Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Carrie A. Kroll, Elissa Brockbank Reese, David D. Conway, Christopher S. Crook
Client Alerts
Summer 2010, Protecting Yourself When a Deal Goes South
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
Exaggerated Features - The Caricaturist's Quarterly
Spring 2010, Right of Publicity: Lessons from Paris Hilton v. Hallmark Cards
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
Exaggerated Features - The Caricaturist's Quarterly
October 2009, Copyright Protection of Architectural Works
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
The Copyright & New Media Law Newsletter
July 2009, Infringement of Your Copyright
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
Exaggerated Features, The Caricaturists Quarterly
July 2009, An Associate's Guide to the Practice of Copyright Law
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Joshua J. Kaufman
Oxford University Press
May 13, 2009, Second Circuit Holds That Sale of Trademarks as Search Terms Constitutes "Use in Commerce" Under the Lanham Act
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
April 27, 2009, Infringement of Your Copyrights: Increasing Your Chances of Prevailing Later
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
Exaggerated Features, The Caricaturists Quarterly
February 1, 2009, The Right of Publicity: Questions from the NCN Convention
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
Exaggerated Features, The Caricaturists Quarterly
December 2008, IP News and Comment - December 2008
Ryan M. Flandro, Michael A. Gollin, Keith G. Haddaway, Ph.D., Frederick M. Joyce,Martin L. Saad, Janet F. Satterthwaite, Meaghan Hemmings Kent
IP Buzz
September 4, 2008, The Evolving Declaratory Judgment Standard
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
IP Law 360
November 2007, Copyright Infringement of Architectural Works: Trial Strategies for Defendants
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
Commercial Litigation Committee's The Business Suit; World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Newsletter
August 15, 2007, You Got Me Sued Where?
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
Events/Speaking Engagements
Ms. Kent is a frequent speaker on intellectual property matters. A sampling of recent speaking engagements is listed below. Ms. Kent is also an Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing at George Washington University Law School where she teaches and advises students on the AIPLA law journal, and is a guest lecturer regarding Copyright Litigation for American University Law School's Art Law course.
Past Events
May 4, 2011 - May 6, 2011, PlayCon
Meaghan Hemmings Kent, Steven J. Schwarz
April 15, 2011, "Intellectual Property Law Year in Review" at the DRI Business Litigation and Intellectual Property Seminar
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
February 13, 2011 - February 16, 2011, American International Toy Fair
Michael A. Sartori, Ph.D., Steven J. Schwarz, Meaghan Hemmings Kent
November 8, 2010, "Legal Matters for the Artist: Protecting Yourself and Your Work" at the International Society of Caricature Artists' Annual Convention
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
October 6, 2010, "Merchandising and Art : Limits, Regimes and New Perspectives" at the International Bar Association Conference
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
April 16, 2010, "Privacy v. Publicity: A Look at the Competing Interests of an Athlete and Entertainer's Right to Privacy versus the Media's Right to Speak Freely" at the 3rd Annual Georgetown Entertainment & Media Alliance (GEMA) Sports & Entertainment Law Symposium
Meaghan Hemmings Kent
November 3, 2008, National Caricaturist Network Convention
Meaghan Hemmings Kent