Michelle Sara King Image

Michelle Sara King

is President & CEO of King Consults, a global government affairs, external relations, communications and advocacy firm working with the global association and business community based in Washington, DC. King Consults is focused on intellectual property policy, cyber/data policy, technology policy, health policy, women’s issues and trade. In her professional capacity, Michelle serves as a Power of A (Association) Ambassador and as a member of the ASAE PAC Board. Additionally, Michelle is an active member and former chair of the Women in Government Relations (WGR) Telecommunications, Technology and Intellectual Property task force. Further, Michelle is a volunteer member of the DC Mayor’s She Helps Engage DC (SHE-DC) leadership committee and as a mentor through the Beacon Initiative. In Michelle’s personal capacity, Michelle serves on the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Regional Board, the AJC ACCESS Board (young professionals) and the Women’s Congressional Golf Association (WCGA) Board. Michelle has a BA in biology from Bryn Mawr College and a JD from the American University-Washington College of Law.

For more information or to contact Michelle, visit her Firm Profile Page.

Recent Articles by Michelle Sara King

IPR Center Director Steve Francis: How the National IPR Center is Helping to Combat IP Theft During a Global Pandemic

For over a decade, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR) has been at the forefront of the United States government’s response to combating global intellectual property (IP) theft and enforcement of its international trade laws. The IPR Center brings together over 25 global partners, including government and law enforcement agencies focused on IP enforcement. Steven Francis is the IPR Center Director and is also the Assistant Director for Global Trade Investigations at Homeland Security Investigations, with over 22 years of federal law enforcement experience. This month, I had the opportunity to interview Francis about the work of the IPR Center, particularly during Covid-19, and how the center is partnering with the stakeholder community through initiatives such as Operation Stolen Promise.  

WIPO and U.S. Copyright Office Team Up to Talk Copyright in the Age of AI

Earlier this month, the U.S. Copyright Office and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held a joint event titled, “Copyright in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” (AI) at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The event explored how global copyright law and intellectual property law, as well as broader policy, may currently address AI technology, and included dialogue about changes that may be needed. Panelists also shared how AI is being utilized now and what future technology deployment and innovation may look like. The event was part of a series of conversations organized by the U.S, Copyright Office and WIPO both in the United States and Europe, with the next conversation scheduled for May 11 and 12 in Geneva, Switzerland. The summit illustrated that AI presents unique opportunities for innovation, assuming intellectual property rights are respected, but questions remain in several areas, including whether machine learning is producing “original” work and whether the product of such software is inherently reproductive, derivative or the result of a system or process devoid of human action.