This Week in Washington IP: Fraudulent Trademarks, Facial Recognition Technology and Implementing MOBILE NOW for 5G Wireless Spectrum

This week in Washington, D.C., the Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property holds a hearing to look at ways to reduce the number of fraudulent trademark application filings that have been making their way to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Other Senate committee hearings will focus on legislative proposals to protect consumer data privacy and promote the availability of wireless spectrum for 5G networks. Over in the House of Representatives, the Artificial Intelligence Task Force will convene a hearing to look into concerns related to the use of artificial intelligence technologies in the financial services industry. Elsewhere in D.C., both The Brookings Institution and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will host events discussing the use of facial recognition technology in the public and private sectors. 

Tuesday, December 3

Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property

Fraudulent Trademarks: How They Undermine the Trademark System and Harm American Consumers and Businesses

At 3:00 PM on Tuesday in 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The issue of fraudulent trademarks making their way onto the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Principal Register has been a growing concern to D.C. lawmakers in recent months. One day before Thanksgiving, Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA), Chair of the House Intellectual Property Subcommittee, announced that he was looking into legislative proposals which could, in part, accelerate challenges to potentially fraudulent trademarks. The witness panel for this hearing has yet to be announced.

Wednesday, December 4

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Examining Legislative Proposals to Protect Consumer Data Privacy

At 10:00 AM on Wednesday in 216 Hart Senate Office Building.

On November 26, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced legislation along with other committee Democrats that seeks to enhance protection of consumer data privacy. The bill would codify rights of individuals to pursue claims against tech companies that violate data privacy rights. The witness panel for this hearing will include the Honorable Julie Brill, Former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft; the Honorable Maureen Ohlhausen, Former Acting-Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, and Co-Chair, 21st Century Privacy Coalition; Laura Moy, Executive Director and Associate Professor of Law, Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology; Nuala O’Connor, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Digital Citizenship at Walmart; and Michelle Richardson, Director of Privacy and Data, Center for Democracy and Technology.

New America

Spotlight on Transparency

At 12:00 PM on Wednesday at New America, 740 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20005.

This event, presented by New America’s Open Technology Institute, explores issues related to transparency reports issued by companies to highlight government requests for user data and content moderation efforts, among other things. This event, which has been funded by Uber, will feature a discussion with a panel including Rana Kortam, Global Women’s Safety Policy Manager, Uber; David Lieber, Senior Privacy Policy Counsel, Google; Spandi Singh, Policy Analyst, Open Technology Institute at New America; Allen Kachalia, Senior Vice President of Patient Safety and Quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine; and moderated by Tonya Riley, Technology and Cybersecurity Policy Research, The Washington Post.

Thursday, December 5

The Brookings Institution

How to Build Guardrails for Facial Recognition Technology

At 8:45 AM on Thursday at the Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Recently, the Facial Recognition Technology Warrant Act was introduced into the Senate. If enacted, the bill would establish procedural safeguards regarding the use of facial recognition tech by law enforcement officials. The event will feature remarks by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Mike Lee (R-UT), the co-sponsors of the Senate act. After those remarks, the two Senators will join a discussion moderated by Darrell West, Vice President and Director, Governance Studies, and Founding Director, Center for Technology Innovation; and Nicol Turner Lee, Fellow, Governance Studies, Center for Technology Innovation. 

Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet 

The Evolution of Next-Generation Technologies: Implementing MOBILE NOW

At 10:00 AM on Thursday in 216 Hart.

This hearing will explore the potential impacts of the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (MOBILE NOW) Act, a bill that aims to reduce barriers to wireless infrastructure buildout and promote the availability of 5G wireless spectrum. The witness panel for this hearing will include the Honorable Paul TenHaken, Mayor, City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Johnathan Adelstein, President and CEO, Wireless Infrastructure Association; Scott Bergmann, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, CTIA – The Wireless Association; Mary Brown, Senior Director, Technology and Spectrum Policy, Cisco; and Sarah Morris, Director, Open Technology Institute, New America.

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation 

Emerging Uses of Facial Recognition Technology in the Private Sector

At 3:30 PM on Thursday at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, 700 K St. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20001.

Facial recognition technologies are having a wide-reaching impact in the private sector and have been employed by businesses as diverse as airlines, real estate rentals, and hotel and hospitality. While this has benefitted customer service in these industries, policymakers have questioned whether there should be any regulatory checks to ensure that these technologies are adopted responsibly. This event will feature a discussion with a panel including Jamie Boone, Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Consumer Technology Association; Matt Furlow, Director of Policy, C_TEC, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Jake Parker, Senior Director of Government Relations, Security Industry Association; David Ray, Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel, Rank One Computing Corporation; Mel Schantz, Supervisor, Engineering, Panasonic; and moderated by Daniel Castro, Vice President, ITIF, and Director, Center for Data Innovation.

Friday, December 6

House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence

Robots on Wall Street: The Impact of AI on Capital Markets and Jobs in the Financial Services Industry

At 9:30 AM on Friday in 2128 Rayburn House Office Building.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are poised to make a big impact on the financial services industry in the years to come. A 2017 survey by PricewaterhouseCooper found that more than half of the study’s respondents in the financial services industry were making substantial investments into AI tech that can impact tax planning, wealth management and financial crime prevention. The witness panel for this hearing has yet to be announced.