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Download the Board book as a PDF here. (6MB) - State Bar of Georgia

Download the Board book as a PDF here. (6MB) - State Bar of Georgia

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Intellectual Property Section,<strong>State</strong> <strong>Bar</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong>Annual ReportPage 23 <strong>of</strong> 67COMPLETION OF BYLAWS REVISION:The previous chair initiated a bylaws revision. This year <strong>the</strong> Section completed allrevisions to <strong>the</strong> bylaws. Additionally, <strong>the</strong> Section had <strong>the</strong> bylaws approved by legalcounsel at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong> <strong>Bar</strong>. The Section plans to vote on <strong>the</strong> revised bylaws prior to June30, <strong>the</strong>reafter submitting <strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Board</strong> <strong>of</strong> Directors for final approval.REVISION OF THE CONSUMER PAMPHLET SERIES ON COPYRIGHTS,PATENTS, AND TRADEMARKS:This year, <strong>the</strong> Patent Committee h<strong>as</strong> revised <strong>the</strong> Consumer Pamphlet Series onCopyright, Patents, and Trademarks. This document w<strong>as</strong> l<strong>as</strong>t revised in 2009. However,<strong>the</strong> law h<strong>as</strong> changed greatly since <strong>the</strong>n, especially in <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> patents. Statutoryrequirements for patentability <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>tware and business methods have changed. Fur<strong>the</strong>r,<strong>the</strong> America Invents Act h<strong>as</strong> become law, transforming <strong>the</strong> United <strong>State</strong>s from a first toinvent country to a first-inventor-to-file country. Not only w<strong>as</strong> a revision overdue, revisedpamphlets would advantageously also serve <strong>as</strong> handouts when Section members didpresentations to <strong>the</strong> public. A pamphlet promulgated by <strong>the</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong> <strong>Bar</strong> also helps suchpresentations appear to be mere “sales pitches” for a particular firm. Instead, <strong>the</strong>y provideSection sanctioned information to help <strong>the</strong> Section better serve <strong>the</strong> public. The revision iscurrently being reviewed by <strong>the</strong> Executive Committee, and is scheduled to be delivered to<strong>the</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong> <strong>Bar</strong> prior to <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fiscal year.FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH DUES:We have diligently worked to spend our dues with more responsibility.Illustrating by example, during <strong>the</strong> 2012-2013 fiscal year, we agreed to once againparticipate in <strong>the</strong> North American Entertainment Sports and Intellectual PropertyConference, which w<strong>as</strong> held in Cancun, Mexico, during November 7- 11, 2012.However, in agreeing to participate, my requirement w<strong>as</strong> that no dues would be used for249

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