Pitt Wire; How Pitt is Preparing for the Spread of the Coronavirus
"The University of Pittsburgh continues to monitor the spread of the
coronavirus disease, COVID-19, and is taking steps to respond to
community needs. As of Feb. 27, no cases of COVID-19 have been reported
in Pennsylvania. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has stated that the individual immediate health risk to those in
the United States is currently low, communities should prepare for the
coronavirus to spread.
Keeping our community informed
Since the emergence of the virus in December 2019, campus health and
public safety leaders have coordinated closely with the Allegheny County
Health Department and Pennsylvania Department of Health and are
following guidance from the CDC and World Health Organization.
Pitt encourages members of the University community to visit the Public Safety and Emergency Management website,
which remains a centralized and reliable source for information on this
issue. “Knowing where to find reliable information is important for
community members,” said Molly Stitt-Fischer, the University’s biosafety
officer. “As the health and scientific communities learn more as the
situation continues to change very quickly, access to the most current
guidance is critical.”
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Feds to US Firms: Watch Out for Employees Trying to Steal Trade Secrets for China; PC Mag, February 26, 2020
Michael Kan, PC Mag; Feds to US Firms: Watch Out for Employees Trying to Steal Trade Secrets for China
"“It’s not a spy versus spy game anymore,” said William Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, during the panel. “This is the businessman, the engineer, the scientist, the student, the professor.” ...
To stop the intellectual property theft, the feds are urging US companies to protect against insider threats, which can be spurred on both by foreign governments and domestic rivals, they noted. But the answer isn’t to profile employees or stop hiring staffers from certain countries, [John] Demers[US Assistant Attorney General for National Security] said. He suggests companies develop internal systems that can track when employees are accessing sensitive company files, which can help pinpoint when a IP theft might be occurring. For example, if a soon-to-be ex-staffer is suddenly accessing a huge trove of a confidential documents, the system should immediately flag the download to company administrators."
"“It’s not a spy versus spy game anymore,” said William Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, during the panel. “This is the businessman, the engineer, the scientist, the student, the professor.” ...
To stop the intellectual property theft, the feds are urging US companies to protect against insider threats, which can be spurred on both by foreign governments and domestic rivals, they noted. But the answer isn’t to profile employees or stop hiring staffers from certain countries, [John] Demers[US Assistant Attorney General for National Security] said. He suggests companies develop internal systems that can track when employees are accessing sensitive company files, which can help pinpoint when a IP theft might be occurring. For example, if a soon-to-be ex-staffer is suddenly accessing a huge trove of a confidential documents, the system should immediately flag the download to company administrators."
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Europe plans to strictly regulate high-risk AI technology; Science, February 19, 2020
Nicholas Wallace, Science; Europe plans to strictly regulate high-risk AI technology
"The European Commission today unveiled its plan to strictly regulate artificial intelligence (AI), distinguishing itself from more freewheeling approaches to the technology in the United States and China.
The commission will draft new laws—including a ban on “black box” AI systems that humans can’t interpret—to govern high-risk uses of the technology, such as in medical devices and self-driving cars. Although the regulations would be broader and stricter than any previous EU rules, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference today announcing the plan that the goal is to promote “trust, not fear.” The plan also includes measures to update the European Union’s 2018 AI strategy and pump billions into R&D over the next decade.
The proposals are not final: Over the next 12 weeks, experts, lobby groups, and the public can weigh in on the plan before the work of drafting concrete laws begins in earnest. Any final regulation will need to be approved by the European Parliament and national governments, which is unlikely to happen this year."
"The European Commission today unveiled its plan to strictly regulate artificial intelligence (AI), distinguishing itself from more freewheeling approaches to the technology in the United States and China.
The commission will draft new laws—including a ban on “black box” AI systems that humans can’t interpret—to govern high-risk uses of the technology, such as in medical devices and self-driving cars. Although the regulations would be broader and stricter than any previous EU rules, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference today announcing the plan that the goal is to promote “trust, not fear.” The plan also includes measures to update the European Union’s 2018 AI strategy and pump billions into R&D over the next decade.
The proposals are not final: Over the next 12 weeks, experts, lobby groups, and the public can weigh in on the plan before the work of drafting concrete laws begins in earnest. Any final regulation will need to be approved by the European Parliament and national governments, which is unlikely to happen this year."
WBUR, On Point;
"For decades, Walter Shaub advised presidential candidates about transparency, ethics and how to avoid conflicts of interest. We talk to Shaub about how he ran the Office of Government Ethics and the future of ethics in government."
Walter Shaub Wants You To Fight For An Ethical Democracy
"For decades, Walter Shaub advised presidential candidates about transparency, ethics and how to avoid conflicts of interest. We talk to Shaub about how he ran the Office of Government Ethics and the future of ethics in government."
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Protecting Your Most Valuable Assets: How to Identify and Maintain Your Institution’s Trade Secrets; The National Law Review, January 23, 2020
Frank Amini, Ph.D., Robert Shaddox, The National Law Review; Protecting Your Most Valuable Assets: How to Identify and Maintain Your Institution’s Trade Secrets
"An institution’s trade secrets can be its most valuable and prolonged assets. However, institutions must take numerous steps in order to maintain the enforceability of their trade secrets. Such steps include: (1) identifying the trade secrets; and (2) taking “reasonable measures” to maintain the secrecy of the trade secrets."
"An institution’s trade secrets can be its most valuable and prolonged assets. However, institutions must take numerous steps in order to maintain the enforceability of their trade secrets. Such steps include: (1) identifying the trade secrets; and (2) taking “reasonable measures” to maintain the secrecy of the trade secrets."
On National Inventors’ Day, Celebrating IBM’s Innovators; Forbes, February 11, 2020
Dario Gil, Director of IBM Research, Forbes; On National Inventors’ Day, Celebrating IBM’s Innovators
"It all boils down to the culture, and the diverse global network of human beings who drive it. As Chieko Asakawa, who lost her eyesight at age 14 and went on to pioneer technologies that open the wonders of the Internet to visually impaired users, puts it: “IBM has a culture that respects each person’s own perspective. It’s a culture of listening, discussion and thinking about ideas together.”
Asakawa was recently inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her work to create the Home Page Reader, a web-to-speech system, improving internet accessibility and usability for the visually impaired.
“When I started working for IBM,” she reflects, “my blindness became my strength.”
And her strength—along with the talent of all her inventive colleagues—is one of IBM’s greatest assets."
"It all boils down to the culture, and the diverse global network of human beings who drive it. As Chieko Asakawa, who lost her eyesight at age 14 and went on to pioneer technologies that open the wonders of the Internet to visually impaired users, puts it: “IBM has a culture that respects each person’s own perspective. It’s a culture of listening, discussion and thinking about ideas together.”
Asakawa was recently inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her work to create the Home Page Reader, a web-to-speech system, improving internet accessibility and usability for the visually impaired.
“When I started working for IBM,” she reflects, “my blindness became my strength.”
And her strength—along with the talent of all her inventive colleagues—is one of IBM’s greatest assets."
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Huge Job Fair at United States Patent & Trademark Office; Zebra, February 28-29, 2020
Mary Wadland, Zebra; Huge Job Fair at United States Patent & Trademark Office, February 28-29
USPTO is hiring hundreds of new examiners in 2020
"Are you ready to protect what’s next in American ingenuity? The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) is holding a job fair and hiring 100s of engineers to examine America’s patents in 2020!
The Alexandria job fair will take place at the Madison Building at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria. Day one will take place in the Global IP Academy (GIPA) and day two in the Clara Barton Auditorium. The dates are on Friday, February 28th, and Saturday, February 29th.
Walk-ins are welcome. Register now!"
USPTO is hiring hundreds of new examiners in 2020
"Are you ready to protect what’s next in American ingenuity? The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) is holding a job fair and hiring 100s of engineers to examine America’s patents in 2020!
Hundreds of Open Positions
The Patent Examiner Recruitment Open House event in Alexandria, VA (DC
Metro Area) is designed to attract soon-to-be graduates and
professionals with backgrounds in biomedical, computer, electrical, and
mechanical engineering by offering actionable information about job
opportunities, salary, benefits, and how to apply to hundreds of open
positions currently available in Alexandria, Virginia; San Jose, California; and Detroit. Even more positions will be opening up in the agency’s Rocky Mountain regional office in Denver later in the year...Recruiters Will Be On Site
In addition to learning about the work of patent examination and hearing directly from those who love what they do, attendees will get a chance to speak one-on-one with recruiters who will review resumes and discuss qualifications.The Alexandria job fair will take place at the Madison Building at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria. Day one will take place in the Global IP Academy (GIPA) and day two in the Clara Barton Auditorium. The dates are on Friday, February 28th, and Saturday, February 29th.
Walk-ins are welcome. Register now!"
Job Posting, Copyright Librarian in Circulation Department, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island
Job Posting, Copyright Librarian in Circulation Department, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island
"Don’t miss out on this opportunity to practice librarianship in
this highly desirable location: Newport,
Rhode Island. The U.S.
Naval War College (NWC) Library is hiring! The NWC Library invites
applications for a newly created position as Copyright Librarian in the
Circulation Department. Named in honor of Rear Admiral Henry Effingham Eccles,
the Library recently adopted a Learning Commons model with the completion of a
new, state-of-the-art, 86,000 square foot facility that brings together under
one roof the Library, Writing Center, Information Resources Department (IT),
Dean of Students, Café, and Bookstore.
The Copyright Librarian serves as a knowledgeable and service-oriented
licensing and copyright professional who leads the copyright program for the
NWC. This includes performing a variety
of functions and processes that relate to the implementation of copyright policy,
formulation of procedures, licensing negotiation, workflows, and obtaining
copyright permissions for all forms of published and unpublished materials
requested by all NWC faculty and staff.
This federal (GS) position is open to all qualified U.S. citizens. See USAJOBS announcement for requirements. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience; position includes a full federal benefits package.
Applications will be made online at USAJobs. USAJobs postings are typically open for only five days. To find job openings at the Naval War College search on the keywords Naval War College or Newport Rhode Island. Individuals interested in this position can learn more about the application process by visiting USAJobs and can begin by creating their account and uploading their resume.
This federal (GS) position is open to all qualified U.S. citizens. See USAJOBS announcement for requirements. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience; position includes a full federal benefits package.
Applications will be made online at USAJobs. USAJobs postings are typically open for only five days. To find job openings at the Naval War College search on the keywords Naval War College or Newport Rhode Island. Individuals interested in this position can learn more about the application process by visiting USAJobs and can begin by creating their account and uploading their resume.
The Naval War College is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer.
For additional information about the position please contact Lori Brostuen, Library Deputy Director at 401-841-2642 or email loribrostuen@usnwc.edu."
U.S.-China Feud Ensnares Obscure UN Intellectual Property Agency; Bloomberg, February 16, 2020
Nick Wadhams, Bloomberg; U.S.-China Feud Ensnares Obscure UN Intellectual Property Agency
"“The race for WIPO leadership has become the moment the U.S. woke up to the fact China is eating our lunch in the multilateral system and that great-power competition will be fought out in many theaters, including UN agencies,” said Daniel Runde, the director of the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “WIPO may seem obscure, but it’s a standard-maker and holds hundreds of billions of our trade secrets in its digital vaults.”"
"“The race for WIPO leadership has become the moment the U.S. woke up to the fact China is eating our lunch in the multilateral system and that great-power competition will be fought out in many theaters, including UN agencies,” said Daniel Runde, the director of the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “WIPO may seem obscure, but it’s a standard-maker and holds hundreds of billions of our trade secrets in its digital vaults.”"
Thursday, February 13, 2020
How To Teach Artificial Intelligence; Forbes, February 12, 2020
Tom Vander Ark, Forbes; How To Teach Artificial Intelligence
"Artificial intelligence—code that learns—is likely to be humankind’s most important invention. It’s a 60-year-old idea that took off five years ago when fast chips enabled massive computing and sensors, cameras, and robots fed data-hungry algorithms...
A World Economic Forum report indicated that 89% of U.S.-based companies are planning to adopt user and entity big data analytics by 2022, while more than 70% want to integrate the Internet of Things, explore web and app-enabled markets, and take advantage of machine learning and cloud computing.
Given these important and rapid shifts, it’s a good time to consider what young people need to know about AI and information technology. First, everyone needs to be able to recognize AI and its influence on people and systems, and be proactive as a user and citizen. Second, everyone should have the opportunity to use AI and big data to solve problems. And third, young people interested in computer science as a career should have a pathway for building AI...
The MIT Media Lab developed a middle school AI+Ethics course that hits many of these learning objectives. It was piloted by Montour Public Schools outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which has incorporated the three-day course in its media arts class."
"Artificial intelligence—code that learns—is likely to be humankind’s most important invention. It’s a 60-year-old idea that took off five years ago when fast chips enabled massive computing and sensors, cameras, and robots fed data-hungry algorithms...
A World Economic Forum report indicated that 89% of U.S.-based companies are planning to adopt user and entity big data analytics by 2022, while more than 70% want to integrate the Internet of Things, explore web and app-enabled markets, and take advantage of machine learning and cloud computing.
Given these important and rapid shifts, it’s a good time to consider what young people need to know about AI and information technology. First, everyone needs to be able to recognize AI and its influence on people and systems, and be proactive as a user and citizen. Second, everyone should have the opportunity to use AI and big data to solve problems. And third, young people interested in computer science as a career should have a pathway for building AI...
The MIT Media Lab developed a middle school AI+Ethics course that hits many of these learning objectives. It was piloted by Montour Public Schools outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which has incorporated the three-day course in its media arts class."
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Acting U.S. Copyright Register Maria Strong: All Eyes on Modernization; IP Watchdog, February 10, 2020
Michelle Sara King, IP Watchdog; Acting U.S. Copyright Register Maria Strong: All Eyes on Modernization
"With IP champions in Congress turning their attention away from patent reform and toward copyright this year, IPWatchdog took the opportunity to interview Acting U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Strong shortly after she assumed her new role."
"With IP champions in Congress turning their attention away from patent reform and toward copyright this year, IPWatchdog took the opportunity to interview Acting U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Strong shortly after she assumed her new role."
David Gooder appointed USPTO Commissioner for Trademarks; United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), February 5, 2020
Press Release, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); David Gooder appointed USPTO Commissioner for Trademarks
"The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today that U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has appointed David Gooder to be the new Commissioner for Trademarks. As Commissioner, Gooder will be responsible for oversight of all aspects of the USPTO’s Trademarks organization.
Gooder has worked for more than 25 years on intellectual property (IP) and brand protection challenges facing iconic global brands. Gooder will begin his new role on March 2, 2020."
"The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today that U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has appointed David Gooder to be the new Commissioner for Trademarks. As Commissioner, Gooder will be responsible for oversight of all aspects of the USPTO’s Trademarks organization.
Gooder has worked for more than 25 years on intellectual property (IP) and brand protection challenges facing iconic global brands. Gooder will begin his new role on March 2, 2020."
Sunday, February 9, 2020
The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the deep flaws of Xi’s autocracy; The Guardian, February 9, 2020
Richard McGregor, The Guardian; The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the deep flaws of Xi’s autocracy
"The authoritarian strictures of the Chinese party state place a premium on the control of information in the name of maintaining stability. In such a system, lower-level officials have no incentive to report bad news up the line. Under Xi, such restrictions have grown tighter.
In Wuhan, Li and seven of his fellow doctors had been talking among themselves in an internet chat group about a new cluster of viral infections. They stopped after being warned by police. By the time the authorities reacted and quarantined the city, it was too late.
Li was neither a dissident nor a pro-democracy activist seeking to overthrow the Communist party. But he was risking jail to even discuss the virus. For in Xi’s China, the professional classes – doctors, lawyers, journalists and the like – all must subsume their skills and ethics to the political directives of the moment."
"The authoritarian strictures of the Chinese party state place a premium on the control of information in the name of maintaining stability. In such a system, lower-level officials have no incentive to report bad news up the line. Under Xi, such restrictions have grown tighter.
In Wuhan, Li and seven of his fellow doctors had been talking among themselves in an internet chat group about a new cluster of viral infections. They stopped after being warned by police. By the time the authorities reacted and quarantined the city, it was too late.
Li was neither a dissident nor a pro-democracy activist seeking to overthrow the Communist party. But he was risking jail to even discuss the virus. For in Xi’s China, the professional classes – doctors, lawyers, journalists and the like – all must subsume their skills and ethics to the political directives of the moment."
How This CEO Is Streamlining The Copyright Process For Independent Artists; Forbes, January 27, 2020
Cheryl Robinson, Forbes; How This CEO Is Streamlining The Copyright Process For Independent Artists
"Jessica Sobhraj, cofounder and CEO of Cosynd, is on a mission to be the central hub that creators use to protect their work. The company designed a platform that automates copyright contracts and registrations for independent creators and businesses by working in conjunction with the U.S. Copyright Office. The company has simplified the process of documenting crucial ownership data and filing copyright registrations of all types of content – music, videos, imagery and literature...
“There's so many times when you're just going to hear ‘no’ in your face,” Sobhraj concludes. “You're going to be rejected and you're going to be let down. You've got to build tough skin, especially to make it in the music industry or the creative industry in general. You've got to be able to take criticism and turn it into something positive.”"
"Jessica Sobhraj, cofounder and CEO of Cosynd, is on a mission to be the central hub that creators use to protect their work. The company designed a platform that automates copyright contracts and registrations for independent creators and businesses by working in conjunction with the U.S. Copyright Office. The company has simplified the process of documenting crucial ownership data and filing copyright registrations of all types of content – music, videos, imagery and literature...
“There's so many times when you're just going to hear ‘no’ in your face,” Sobhraj concludes. “You're going to be rejected and you're going to be let down. You've got to build tough skin, especially to make it in the music industry or the creative industry in general. You've got to be able to take criticism and turn it into something positive.”"
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Putting China in charge of the world’s intellectual property is a bad idea; The Washington Post, Janaury 30, 2020
, The Washington Post; Putting China in charge of the world’s intellectual property is a bad idea
"Beijing
is lobbying hard to take over leadership of the international
organization that oversees intellectual property, which could result in
dire consequences for the future of technology and economic competition.
But the U.S.-led effort to prevent this from happening faces a steep
uphill climb.
Friday, February 7, 2020
Disney CEO apologizes after elementary school is fined for Lion King showing; The Verge, February 6, 2020
, The Verge; Disney CEO apologizes after elementary school is fined for Lion King showing
"Movie Licensing USA, a licensing firm that works with
Disney and a number of other companies, sent an email to Emerson
Elementary, letting it know the firm was alerted to the PTA’s screening,
and the school was facing a $250 fine as a result for showing a movie
for which it didn’t have the licensing rights. The email, which was
obtained by CNN, noted that “any time a movie is shown outside of the
home, legal permission is needed to show it, as it is considered a
Public Performance.”...
There are a number of unanswered questions. How did Movie
Licensing USA even find out about the event? Who alerted the company to
a small fundraising event, which led the firm to take action? Disney is
notorious for its copyright takedown strategy, but it’s usually over
parts of its movies ending up on YouTube or other hosting sites or merchandise using characters from its properties — not a fundraising event where a movie purchased by a local father was shown.
At least Iger is trying to rectify the situation. But it doesn’t answer any of the questions listed above. The Verge has reached out to Disney and Movie Licensing USA for more information."
Saturday, February 1, 2020
It wasn’t just the National Archives. The Library of Congress also balked at a Women’s March photo.; The Washington Post, January 31, 2020
, The Washington Post; It wasn’t just the National Archives. The Library of Congress also balked at a Women’s March photo.
"The Library of Congress abandoned plans last year to showcase a
mural-size photograph of demonstrators at the 2017 Women’s March in
Washington because of concerns it would be perceived as critical of
President Trump, according to emails obtained by The Washington Post...
Slayton
said the decision to remove the photograph was made by leadership of
the library’s Center for Exhibits and Interpretation. “No outside
entities reviewed this exhibition’s content before it opened or opined
on its content,” the spokeswoman wrote.
Librarian
of Congress Carla Hayden was informed of the decision soon after and
supported it, Slayton said. Hayden, who is in the fourth year of her
10-year term, was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2016 and
confirmed by the Senate."
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