The Cleveland Intellectual Property Law Association
Please join us on Thursday, November 5, 2026 for our first regular meeting of 2026 co-hosted by The University of Akron IP & Technology Law Center!
Register by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026.
AGENDA
CLE Program
(4:30–5:30 p.m., 1.00 hr CLE credit will be applied for)
Year in Review:
Copyright, Trademarks, Publicity Rights, and U.S. Policy
Jess Miers,
Assistant Professor of Law
The University of Akron
Professor Miers will provide expert insight into how we approach artificial intelligence from a legal perspective. Prof. Miers will describe the current contours of law as applied to the intersection of AI and intellectual property.
Many contentions arise around AI and the law, and Prof. Miers will draw on years of experience to describe and explain the nuances of the situation. Her presentation will address recent developments in IP law governing (i) Authorship requirements for copyrightability (ii) AI training and copyright infringement (including the latest decision in Thomson Reuters v. Ross Intelligence); (iii) AI-generated trademarks and infringement; (iv) Deepfakes, impersonation, and the right of publicity; and (v) U.S. federal and state legislative agendas.
About the Speaker: Professor Miers is a member of the intellectual property and constitutional law faculty at the University of Akron School of Law, where she teaches Fundamentals of Intellectual Property and Internet and Technology Law. Her research examines online communications, generative AI, and the First Amendment. An expert in U.S. online intermediary liability law, including Section 230, she has written, spoken, and taught extensively on social media liability, freedom of expression, and intellectual property. She is a frequent contributor to Techdirt and the Technology & Marketing Law Blog.
Previously, Prof. Miers served as Senior Counsel and Senior Copyright Counsel for Chamber of Progress, a progressive tech trade association based in Washington, D.C., where, among many things, she helped build and lead the organization's recent AI initiative, "Generate and Create." During her time at Chamber of Progress, Professor Miers authored numerous appellate amicus briefs, including a brief in the recent Supreme Court cases NetChoice & CCIA v. Moody & Paxton. Before joining Chamber of Progress, Prof. Miers was a Senior Government Affairs & Public Policy Analyst at Google, where she oversaw state and federal content policy portfolios and collaborated with litigation teams on key online speech issues currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Cocktail Reception
(5:30–6:15 p.m.)
Dinner CLE
(6:15–7:30 p.m., 1.00 hr CLE credit will be applied for)
The IP Agenda in Washington: An Inside View
Keynote Speaker
Coke Morgan Stewart
President and CEO, Council for Innovation Promotion
Drawing on her recent experience as Acting Director and Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Coke Stewart will offer an inside perspective on the IP policy agenda in Washington. She will discuss the challenges facing the USPTO, current legislative proposals to strengthen IP rights, and what these developments mean for inventors, businesses, and practicing lawyers. Her talk will examine key debates over patent eligibility and enforcement and their implications for innovation, investment, and U.S. competitiveness. She will also discuss C4IP’s priorities for Congress and the Executive Branch and how the IP community can help shape the policies that govern their clients’ intellectual assets.
About the Speaker: Coke Morgan Stewart, President and CEO of the Council for Innovation Promotion is the former Acting Director of the USPTO, where she led one of the largest IP offices in the world--almost a $5 billion operation with over 14,000 employees located across 50 states and Puerto Rico. Ms. Stewart worked at the USPTO for 10 years and then re-joined the agency in 2025. During her tenure at the USPTO, Ms. Stewart served in many important roles, in which she defended agency decisions in federal court and advised multiple administration on a wide array of legal and policy matters, from patent eligibility to drug pricing to artificial intelligence. Ms. Stewart is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Virginia School of Law.
Registration Fees:
Members: Dinner CLE – $45; CLE Program – Free
In-House Members: Dinner CLE – $35; CLE Program – Free
Non-Members: Dinner CLE – $55; CLE Program – $30; Both - $75
All Students: Dinner CLE – Free; CLE Program – Free
Bundled Members: Dinner CLE and CLE Program - Prepaid, but you must register to attend the meeting
Location:
The University of Akron Student Union
Top Floor - Jean Howard Taber Student Union
303 Carroll Street
Akron, OH 44325
Click here for driving directions to the University.
Cancellations:
Any cancellations must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026. Please email smgerber@jonesday.com with any cancellation—no fax or telephone cancellations will be honored.
