My journal into intellectual property begins with movies. I have always been fascinated by them. How a combination of images and sounds can captivate audiences worldwide, never ceases to amaze me. This fascination led me to study every aspect of filmmaking. This included how a scene is staged, the process where a director tells the actors where to go and how to move. Indeed, when I was a freshman in college, the only career path I had in mind was one in film.
Category Archives: Why Loyola
From the Studio Lot to Law School
During my junior year of undergrad, I was ecstatic when I received an offer to join the Legal Department of Fox Entertainment Group (now, 20th Century Studios) as a Content Protection Intern. The idea of working on a major studio lot was more than exciting to someone who had grown up an hour away from Hollywood. Continue reading
From Pre-Med Student to Entertainment/IP Lawyer…?
As a first generation American, daughter of immigrants, my family’s three options for my future were “doctor, lawyer, or engineer”. There was no flexibility, nor was there any other option for me besides going to grad school.
Since my mom has been a constant source of inspiration, it was long assumed that I would follow in her footsteps, she was my hero. Nightly dinner table conversations of the complex surgeries she was part of left me in awe.
I ended up being pre-med for two years, shadowed an endless number of surgeons, and really thought medicine was what I wanted to pursue. At the time though, I had no idea what was ahead for me in law (cue IP).
An Unconventional Path to IP at Loyola
An Inorganic Start
When asked why I chose to study intellectual property (IP), my most common answer is because of my unconventional wisdom.
Although this is true, it’s also a reference to my alma mater’s catch phrase, “Unconventional Wisdom.” Its true definition was a catch-all for not only describing the quirkiness of our university, but also how people used their unique experiences to solve problems and reach conclusions.
My Creative Journey Towards IP Law
Every kid in the world at some point in their lives has probably dreamt of inventing something or creating a brand–and making millions off their creative genius. I know I have. While I regret to inform you that I am neither a millionaire nor the next Steve Jobs (yet!), I’ve dabbled in many areas of intellectual property, which ultimately led me down the path to IP law. Continue reading
IP And Me: How My Love of Branding Led to A Legal Career
I love commercials. As a kid, Bart Simpson sold me Butterfingers. I walked to school singing the KitKat song. When I was old enough to understand that someone had to write the commercial before they recorded it, I thought that was my dream job. Continue reading
G.I. Oh No!
If Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo (painters or turtles) were to decide to paint something together, who gets to hold the brush? In Intellectual Property (IP) terms, working with multiple parties with competing IP interests can feel like many artists working on the same canvas. Let me provide some backstory before I answer this question.
“Mojtaba Hosseinzade” by 9spart9, licensed under Unsplash
Dancing into Intellectual Property Law
I unknowingly have been interested in intellectual property law, specifically copyright law, since I attended dance classes as a child. When I was about 10, I began to wonder why certain songs were chosen and others were not for our annual productions. Why could we perform to Michael Jackson songs while wearing white, sparkly gloves, but we were not allowed to dance to Disney songs from “The Lion King.” Continue reading
From Health Law to Loyola to IP
My path to intellectual property began with an interest in healthcare law.
When applying for law schools I considered three things. I wanted to be in Chicago. I wanted a supportive environment like my undergrad experience. Lastly, I wanted a logical place to pursue my healthcare interest.
Legal Literacy in the Arts: My Journey with IP in the Misinformation Age
I remember the conversation that sent me to law school vividly. I was working in marketing for an arts organization, discussing an upcoming art exhibit with the artist. Of course, the topic of online marketing arose. The conversation went like this: