IP Hall of Fame Academy members
The IP Hall of Fame Academy comprises previous, living inductees into the IP Hall of Fame, the panellists from the 2006 IP Hall of Fame induction process and individuals who have been put forward for membership as a consequence of their acknowledged expertise in international intellectual property issues. Moving forward, people will qualify for Academy membership only if they are inducted into the IP Hall of Fame or if their names are submitted for consideration by an existing member.
The role of Academy members is to select IP Hall of Fame inductees from the nominations made by the global IP community.
Current members are (click on name for more information):
Michael Kirk
Recently retired as executive director of the American Intellectual Property AssociationIP Hall of Fame inductee in 2008
Responsible for transforming the American Intellectual Property Association from a small organisation into a 17,000-member powerhouse of IP education and advocacy, Mike Kirk stepped down as executive director in 2008 after 13 years of service. Before joining the AIPLA, Kirk had a career at the USPTO spanning more than 30 years and culminating in his roles as deputy assistant secretary of commerce and deputy commissioner of patents and trademarks. During his time at the USPTO Kirk led numerous delegations to trade negotiations involving IP rights and was the chief US negotiator on TRIPS from 1990 until the conclusion of the Uruguay Round.
Since leaving the AIPLA, Kirk has been a part-time consultant for the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, a group that represents a number of companies that have been working to achieve patent reform along the lines of S 515 as reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee.