Vancouver Chapter Upcoming Events

Digital Rights Deal Making in the Entertainment Industry – Business and Legal Aspects

The Vancouver chapter of the LICENSING EXECUTIVES SOCIETY invites all LES members and friends to a presentation on digital rights deal making in the entertainment industry, over lunch at the studios of Studio B Productions Inc. (a custom-designed 27,000 sq. ft. facility at the eastern edge of Gastown at Alexander St. & Main St., overlooking Coal Harbour).  An award-winning Vancouver-based animation studio founded in 1988, Studio B Productions Inc. has earned an international reputation for incredible work. Studio B produces such highly successful original series as Being Ian™, Class of the Titans™, D’Myna Leagues®, What About Mimi?® and Yvon of the Yukon®. Their co-productions include George of the Jungle, Ricky Sprocket – Showbiz Boy, The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers!™, Yakkity Yak and Something Else. Studio B also provides service work for some of the most well-known companies in the world, including Jetix Europe (Pucca).  In the last 18 years, clients have ranged from Universal Studios to Walt Disney. Enjoyed by children and parents alike in over 90 countries, Studio B shows can be seen on such quality broadcasters as YTV, TELETOON, Nickelodeon stations worldwide, Family Channel and Cartoon Network (US). For more information on their shows, the studio and the wacky characters that work there, please visit www.studiobproductions.com.

DATE: Thursday, November 9, 2006

TIME:  12:00 to 2:00 pm - Lunch, presentation, questions and networking

PLACE: The studios of Studio B Productions Inc.
6th Floor, 190 Alexander Street, Vancouver, BC
(Parking lots nearby on Powell St. off Main St. or across railway tracks at Portside Park)
Please buzz “600” and the Receptionist will let you in.

SUBJECT: Digital Rights Deal Making in the Entertainment Industry – Business and Legal Aspects

SPEAKERS:
Jeffery E. Wittmann, Director of Business & Legal Affairs, Studio B Productions Inc.
Jeffery joined Studio B in 2006 after practicing entertainment law and commercial litigation in private practice for 14 years. Jeffery’s private entertainment law practice included providing advice to Canadian and US studios, producers (animation and live-action), writers, voice artists, talent agencies, post-production facilities and distribution companies. He has acted as production counsel on numerous Canadian and US television series, movies-of-the-week and feature films. Jeffery also provided advice to internet service providers, application service providers and computer gaming companies. Between 2001 and 2003, Jeffery was in-house counsel to a major live-action television company based in Vancouver.  Jeffery holds a B.A. (Hons) from the University of Toronto and an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa.

Catherine Warren, Digital Consultant for Studio B Productions Inc. and President of FanTrust Entertainment StrategiesCatherine Warren has led advances in digital media and entertainment since 1985, working in the United States, the United Kingdom, Western Europe and Canada. Catherine’s client work involves strategic initiatives for powerful broadcasters such as CTV, CBC, PBS/KCTS; major telecommunications companies such as Bell Canada, Nokia and France Telecom Orange; computer corporations such as Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft; game and gaming giants Radical Entertainment/Vivendi Universal Games and the BC Lottery Corporation; animation producers Studio B Productions, and world-class advertising agency TBWA.  As the former Chief Operating Officer of the entertainment portal software company Blue Zone, Catherine was part of the executive management team that propelled the business onto the Nasdaq big board and raised significant capital. An editor and producer, Catherine has published more than 25 books and magazine series for children and adults as well as executive produced 20 websites and interactive broadcast initiatives, including ORCA FM, the world’s first all whales/all-the-time radio station and the Gemini Award-winning CTVNews.com.  As a Board Director of Canada's Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Catherine oversees financing for leading projects and emerging talent in convergence broadcasting and Chairs the communications committee. She also serves on the national Women in Media Foundation Board as Chair of programs and partnerships and, from 2004-2006, on the Board of New Media BC, one of North America’s largest professional associations for digital enterprise. In June 2006, Catherine was named Chief Industry & Research Officer for Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design, where she and the FanTrust team will also spearhead public-private partnerships for digital media and intellectual property development.  Catherine has a degree in physics from Reed College in Portland, Oregon and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she broke the story of multimedia on location at M.I.T.  (For more info, see www.FanTrust.com).

COST:     
$20 for LES members, $30 for non members.
$15 for full-time students at a post-secondary institution

Please make cheques payable to the LES Vancouver Chapter, and  send payment in advance to Lorraine Duke at the address below.

PLEASE RSVP (with payment) no later than Monday, November 6, 2006 to:

Lorraine Duke, Assistant to Hilton W.C. Sue
Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala LLP
Suite 480 - The Station
601 West Cordova St.
Vancouver, BC V6B 1G1
Tel: 604-669-3432 ext. 8960
Fax: 604-681-4081
Email: lduke@patentable.com

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Professionals with an interest in high technology licensing, technology transfer, and intellectual property administration. 

THE LICENSING EXECUTIVES SOCIETY:

The LES membership includes a wide range of professionals, including business executives, lawyers, licensing consultants, engineers, academicians, scientists and government officials.  The Vancouver chapter of LES (U.S.A. and Canada) strives to provide professional development opportunities for members of our local technology transfer community.  For more information, see www.usa-canada.les.org.

THE LES VANCOUVER CHAPTER:
See LES Vancouver Chapter website at www.lesvan.com.