IP Counsel: Social Media Perils & Promises

If one message came out loud and clear at ALM's fourth "Social Media: Risks & Rewards" conference, it's that for corporations trying to tame social media, time is measured in dog years. Social media has been changing so fast, and its ramifications are so profound, that corporate counsel are scrambling to try to figure out how to leash the risks and sprint with the opportunities. Tactics that were standard operating procedure in the past — such as sending cease and desist letters for violations of trademarks and copyrights — not only no longer work but can backfire so severely that they can signficantly damage corp  orate reputations.

Four lawyers from high-profile companies discussed these dilemmas in a fast-paced panel on April 12, "Protection and Promotion: Your Corporate Identity in the Virtual World:" Todd Adler (middle), senior corporate counsel of Oracle; Johanna Sistek (right), trademark counsel of Google; Alexandra Sepulveda (far left), trademark and copyright counsel at General Mills; and moderator Jennifer Arkowitz, an associate at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton.

In many cases, said the lawyers, the best tactic to protect corporate brands is to do nothing, or take a very low-keyed approach -- especially when an infringement is generated by an über-fan of the company.

Read more here.

Photos: Russ Curtis