INDUSTRY NONPROFIT TO SERVE STATE'S ROBUST IP ECOSYSTEM

ATLANTA, GA, October 22, 2018 (PRNewswire) - The newly formed Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA) has announced its formal launch as a nonprofit organization (501c3). GIPA has been established to serve Georgia by establishing a better model for creating, protecting and enabling intellectual property (IP). IP, consisting of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, drives society forward. GIPA will serve as the umbrella organization for an efficient ecosystem of partners, all focused on accelerating the market launch of ideas that serve the common good.

GIPA is bringing together a coalition of educational institutions (with world-leading research laboratories), innovation-focused organizations (across the STEAM ecosystem), companies (ranging from Fortune 500 multinationals to fast-growing startups), and many more creators, protectors and enablers to collaborate on this endeavor.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has for the first time ever proclaimed October 2018 as “Intellectual Property Month,” recognizing GIPA and the critical importance of IP to the growth and success of the state’s economy.

The GIPA Executive Committee is led by: Chair, Scott Frank (President & CEO of AT&T Intellectual Property); Vice Chair, Keith Cowan (former President of Strategy & Corporate Development for Sprint); Treasurer, Michael Wright (former Vice President of Finance for Coca-Cola); Secretary, Michael Hobbs (Partner at Troutman Sanders); and Executive Director, Carol Beckham, (former Vice President of AT&T Intellectual Property).

The GIPA Board currently has over 50 members from across the IP ecosystem, with representation from: State of Georgia; Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Technology Assoc. of Georgia; Metro Atlanta Chamber; FinTech Atlanta; Georgia Research Alliance; Emory University; Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University; University of Georgia; Georgia and Atlanta Bars; and Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. Additional members include more than a dozen law firms, corporations, consultants and inventors.

“GIPA is honored to collaborate with business and civic leaders from across the state’s strong IP ecosystem,” said Scott Frank, Founder & Chair of GIPA. "This Alliance will further enhance Georgia’s success in the global economy and inspire new creativity for decades to come.”