CHICAGO, July 14, 2011 – Former Register of Copyrights Marybeth Peters and U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Linn of the Federal Circuit have been selected to receive the 2011 Mark T. Banner Award, presented by the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law, at the ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto Aug. 6.

Peters served as the 11th register of copyrights for the United States and director of the U.S. Copyright Office beginning in August 1994 until her retirement at the end of 2010. Her tenure was surpassed only by that of the first register, who served 33 years in the post. A widely respected technical expert in copyright law, Peters serves on the IP advisory boards of the George Washington University Law School, the University of Maryland Law School, Franklin Pierce Law Center and the John Marshall School of Law. She received her undergraduate degree from Rhode Island College and her law degree from George Washington University Law School.

Prior to his appointment to the Federal Circuit in 1999, Linn practiced intellectual property law after serving as patent examiner at the U.S. Patent Office from 1965-1968. He is a member of the Intellectual Property Advisory Board of George Washington University Law School, where he was an adjunct professor from 2001-2003. Linn received his bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

The ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law established the Mark T. Banner Award last year to recognize those who have advanced the practice or substance of IP law through areas such as scholarship, teaching, innovation, bar leadership and judicial activities. The award is named in honor of the section’s late chair (2002-2003) and celebrated intellectual property trial lawyer, who is remembered throughout the profession as an extraordinary writer, speaker, teacher and innovator in the intellectual property field.

Information on the 2011 Mark T. Banner Award is available here.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the world’s largest voluntary professional membership organization. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

The 25,000 member ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law advances the development of intellectual property laws and their fair and just administration. As the forum for rich perspectives and balanced insight on the full spectrum of IP law, the section serves as the ABA voice on intellectual property law issues within the profession, before policymakers and with the public.

Who
Marybeth Peters, former register of copyrights, and Judge Richard Linn, U.S. Federal Circuit

What
Mark T. Banner Award, presented by the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law

When
Saturday, Aug. 6, noon

Where
Four Seasons Hotel, Regency Ballroom, 21 Ave. Road, Toronto

For high-resolution photos of Peters and Linn, or for other information, please contact Ira Pilchen, ira.pilchen@americanbar.org, 312-988-5743.

IP law events at ABA Annual Meeting: The award will be presented at the ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto. Intellectual property law events include a CLE program with top-level corporate counsel debating current legal and business issues facing high-tech companies, and an international panel examining recent actions on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. Click here for a schedule of IP law events. Online registration for news reporters is easier than ever. Credential guidelines are at http://www.abanow.org/reporter-resources/media-credentials/.

- 30 -