News

06.08.2005

Edwin Komen has joined the Washington, D.C. office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in its Entertainment & Media Group and Intellectual Property Practice Group. The addition of Komen further expands the multi-disciplinary Entertainment & Media group, which has grown in two years to include 38 lawyers whose primary focus is servicing entertainment, media and advertising industry clients.

Komen, most recently with Arent Fox in Washington, D.C., specializes in all aspects of copyright, trademark and unfair competition law, with a particular emphasis on practice before the United States Copyright Office. He represents motion picture companies and other entertainment clients in transactional issues involving rights clearance and acquisition.

"We're pleased to welcome Ed to the D.C. office," said Edward Schiff, managing partner of the firm's Washington, D.C. office. "He brings a wealth of copyright experience to the firm, and will add to the teamwork and interplay between the firm's D.C., New York and West Coast offices."

Commented Komen, "Sheppard Mullin is a great firm with an excellent reputation. I am excited about developing my practice as part of the Entertainment & Media Group."

Robert Darwell, co-chair of the Entertainment & Media Group, stated, "We are thrilled to add such an outstanding entertainment copyright guru to the Group. Ed is well-known and regarded by our studio and other entertainment clients.

Komen's practice encompasses all issues surrounding copyrights, trademarks and related matters including the right of publicity, right of privacy, defamation and domain name registration. He often assists in preparing, prosecuting and securing copyright, trademark and service mark registrations for clients, with extensive knowledge of the rules and regulations governing practice and procedure before the United States Copyright Office and the Patent and Trademark Office’s trademark division.

Komen is familiar with all aspects of the Copyright Act of 1976, its predecessor the Copyright Act of 1909 and all earlier United States Copyright Acts, as well as the copyright laws of most major countries. He has also counseled on international copyright treaties and how they interact with domestic copyright laws.

In addition to work with motion picture and television producers, such as New Line Cinema, Universal Studios, Focus Features, and Freemarket Films, Komen has represented clients from all fields of the intellectual property industry such as advertising, interactive software, online services, live theatrical productions, music publishing, record labels, architecture, photography, sculptural works, toys, apparel, textiles, carpets, industrial tools and products, automotive products, and virtually any other product or service whose value substantially depends on copyright or trademark protection.

Komen serves on the editorial board of both Copyright World and the Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. He is a frequent contributor to Copyright World and has previously authored the U.S. Anti-Piracy section of the Fact Book published by the American Film Marketing Association, a trade association representing independent film producers. Komen is currently on the Advisory Board of the Montana State University Film School, where he also lectures on film law.

Komen earned his law degree from George Washington Law School in 1976 and graduated, cum laude, from University of Southern California, with a BA in 1971. He received his undergraduate degree at USC's Film School and was a professional filmmaker prior to attending law school. Upon graduation from film school, Komen was in the Peace Corps stationed in Micronesia.

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with 430 attorneys in nine offices located throughout California and in New York and Washington, D.C. The firm's California offices are located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Century City, Orange County, Del Mar Heights and San Diego. Sheppard Mullin provides legal expertise and counsel to U.S. and international clients in a wide range of practice areas, including Antitrust, Corporate and Securities; Entertainment and Media; Finance and Bankruptcy; Government Contracts; Intellectual Property; Labor and Employment; Litigation; Real Estate/Land Use; Tax, Employee Benefits, Trusts and Estate Planning; and White Collar Defense.