Practice Areas
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Intellectual Property, Copyright Group, Chair
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, Harvard Law School
- B.A., B.S., summa cum laude, University of Pennsylvania
Law Journals
- Editor, Harvard Law Review
Clerkships
Law Clerk for the Honorable James Hunter III,
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
(1979-1980)
Bar & Court Admissions
Bruce G. Joseph
PARTNER202.719.7258
| bjoseph@wileyrein.comMr. Joseph, chair of the firm’s Copyright Practice, represents clients in connection with copyright litigation, copyright and digital content protection legislation, regulation and inter-industry activities and copyright and trademark licensing and registration. He has been deeply involved in issues relating to the Internet, digital technology protection measures and DRMs, as well as music and sound recording licensing. Commended by Chambers USA (2010) as “a respected copyright expert known for being ‘an utterly phenomenal litigator,’” Mr. Joseph also has been named by Legal Times as one of the DC-region’s 10 “Leading Intellectual Property Lawyers” in the areas of copyright and trademark and by Washingtonian magazine as one of “Washington’s Top Lawyers.”
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
- Represented various clients in negotiations leading to enactment of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), 2004 Copyright Royalty and Distribution Act, 2002 Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization Act, 2002 Small Webcaster Settlements Act and 1992 Audio Home Recording Act.
- Represented leading wireless services in Rate Court litigation against the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in connection with ringback tones, ringtone previews and mobile video, successfully obtaining summary judgment that ringtones do not implicate the public performance right.
- Testified and submitted extensive comments on behalf of the National Association of Broadcasters, CTIA-The Wireless Association and Verizon in successful opposition to a rule proposed by the U.S. Copyright Office that would have required services making streamed performances of music to pay a royalty under the copyright distribution right in addition to royalties already paid under the public performance right. The reasoning of the proposed rule would have had broad ramifications for all services making digital performances and displays of copyrighted content.
- Represented broadcast radio and subscription satellite radio clients in sound recording fee proceedings before the Copyright Royalty Board (Final Determination of Rates and Terms (Federal Register Notice)) (Order Denying SoundExchange Motion for Rehearing) and argued D.C. Circuit appeal on behalf of noncommercial broadcasters.
- Represented a leading Internet service provider in a successful challenge to the recording industry's use of expansive DMCA subpoenas (Verizon v. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)).
- Defended Google against claims by Agence France Presse (AFP) that the Google News website infringed AFP copyrights in news headlines, story leads and photographs.
- Represented the wireless industry during the Copyright Office's 2009 triennial rulemaking under section 1201, submitting comments and testifying in opposition to proposed exemptions to the prohibition on circumvention that would have permitted the circumvention of certain phone system locks.
- Participated extensively in multi-industry content protection activities including the Copy Protection Technical Working Group, the DVD Copy Control Association, the Broadcast Protection Discussion Group, the Analog Reconversion Discussion Group and the Secure Digital Music Initiative.
- Filed amicus briefs and memoranda in leading Internet copyright cases, including MGM v. Grokster, in the Supreme Court, RIAA v. Diamond Multimedia, ALS Scan v. Remarq, Ellison v. Robertson and CoStar Group, Inc. et al. v. LoopNet Inc.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Advisory Board, BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal (1996-Present).
AFFILIATIONS
- Trustee (1996-1998), The Copyright Society of the USA (CSUSA); Past President, Washington, DC Chapter.
HONORS & AWARDS
- Listed by Chambers USA as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" (2010).
- Included as one of DC's "Super Lawyers" by Super Lawyer magazine (2010).
- Included in Lawdragon's list of "3,000 Leading Lawyers in America" (2010).
- Named one of "Washington's Top Lawyers" by Washingtonian magazine (2009).
- Named by Legal Times as one of the DC region's 10 "Leading Intellectual Property Lawyers" in the areas of copyright and trademark (2008).
PUBLICATIONS
CURRENT | CHOOSE YEAR | VIEW ALL- District Court Denies Preliminary Injunction Challenging Constitutionality of Copyright Royalty Board
Bruce G. Joseph, Karyn K. Ablin and Matthew J. Astle
February 26, 2010 | Intellectual Property Alert
SPEECHES
CHOOSE YEAR | VIEW ALLNEWS RELEASES
CURRENT | CHOOSE YEAR | VIEW ALLWashingtonian Magazine Dubs Richard E. Wiley a "Star of the Bar;" Names a Dozen Attorneys to its List of DC's "Top Lawyers"
November 24, 2009
IN THE NEWS
CURRENT | CHOOSE YEAR | VIEW ALLBruce Joseph Comments on Proposed Exemptions to the DMCA
August 27, 2009 | IP Law & Business
