Intersection of Copyright, Trade Dress, and Design Patent Protection for Fashion Articles Under U.S. Law

Laura Kaiser is an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Public Information and Education at the U.S. Copyright Office. She amplifies the Office’s outreach efforts by presenting on copyright law for a variety of audiences. She also supports her colleagues with advice on legal accuracy and clarity when developing public facing materials. Laura first joined the Copyright Office in 2022 as a paralegal with the Copyright Claims Board, where she helped establish a new dispute resolution forum for copyright issues. Prior to joining the Copyright Office, she earned a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and a B.A. in Comparative Literature from New York University. 

Miriam Lord is the Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Public Information and Education for the United States Copyright Office. She’s an expert copyright attorney and one of four legal advisors to the Register of Copyrights. She oversees the authoritative copyright information the Office provides to the public through strategic communication and education programs and initiatives at all levels. Before joining the Office, Lord was the Director of the Global Intellectual Property Academy at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office within the Office of Policy and International Affairs, providing domestic and international intellectual property capacity-building and technical assistance for education policy and programs. Previously, she was the Director of the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, providing pro bono legal assistance to artists, start-ups and creative nonprofits.

Kyle Migliorini is an attorney who focuses his practice primarily on trademark and copyright law. Mr. Migliorini received his JD from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he was a member of the Notre Dame Intellectual Property Law Society and the Notre Dame Trial Team and a legal intern at the Notre Dame Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic. He was the recipient of the Dean Konop Legal Aid Award for his work representing various clients in trademark and copyright matters at the Clinic in 2018.

Erik Swanson specializes in helping European companies navigate the intricacies of U.S. intellectual property law in an efficient and cost-effective manner. With nearly 25 years of experience, Erik is a recognized expert in maximizing protection of his clients’ IP in the U.S. while avoiding or minimizing problems with third party rights. In addition to the filing and prosecuting of U.S. patent applications, his expertise encompasses post-grant proceedings in the U.S. Patent Office as well as patent infringement litigation in U.S. federal courts. He advises companies on the intellectual property aspects of business transactions and commercialization of products in the U.S., including infringement and validity assessments, licensing, due diligence, and capturing and leveraging of technology for start-ups.