Virtual Humans3-?Digital Kidnapping

[Elisabeth Roche]

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT -Virtual Humans 3 Conference June 16-17, 1998, Los
Angeles, CA

Power Session: 'Digital Kidnapping'- the Intellectual Property Rights
implications of the
use of virtual humans.

Virtual Humans3 Conference June 16-17, 1998
http://www.vrnews.com/eventsvh3main.html
Conference Director Dr. Sandra Kay Helsel
Universal City Hilton and Towers
At the entrance to Universal Studios, Hollywood

'Digital Kidnapping' - the Intellectual Property Rights implications of the
use of virtual humans.
Of crucial importance is a clear understanding of the legal issues relating
to the commercialization of virtual humans in their various forms.

Virtual Humans 3, sponsored by VRNews, Silicon Graphics and Electrohome,
Ltd, will include the Digital Kidnapping Session, moderated by Prof. Joseph
J. Beard, St John's University School of Law. Prof. Beard is the leading
academic lawyer specialising in the field of Intellectual Property law as
applied to digital actors and he has assembled for Virtual Humans 3 what is
probably the most distinguished and diversely experienced panel ever
convened on this topic.

The participant list will include Richard Masur, President of the Screen
Actors Guild, as well as the following:
     - Edward H. Rosenthal is a partner in the New York City law firm of
Garbus, Klein and Selz, P.C., where he specializes in intellectual property
litigation and counseling. He is a member of the NY City Bar Association's
Committee on Trademarks and Copyrights, and an officer of the Copyright
Society of the USA.
     - Jeffrey Lotman is the Chief Executive Officer of Global Icons, a
company specializing in the licensing and marketing of celebrity images. He
is a member of the Artists Rights Foundation, and author of a two-volume
reference work on animation art.
     - Peter Riva, the grandson of Marlene Dietrich, heads up an
international idea brokerage agency that he started in 1972, in London. His
wide ranging activities and interests currently include co-creation and
co-ownership of 'Wild Things', now in first run syndication with Paramount
Pictures Television; presidency of The International Film History
Foundation; Managing Directorship of four Marlene Dietrich corporations;
and an advisory role with the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.
     - Steve Williams played a central role in the growth of Industrial
Light & Magic into one of the world's major digital production facilities.
He was Chief Animator on 'The Abyss', 'The Hunt for Red October',
'Terminator 2: Judgement Day', and 'Jurassic Park', Director of Animation
on 'The Mask', for which he received an Oscar nomination, and Animation
Supervisor on 'Star Wars Special Edition'. He is currently a founding
partner in Pull Down Your Pants, a feature film, commercial and music video
production company.
     - Ronald Fields, the grandson of W.C. Fields, is a best-selling
author, Emmy Award winning producer, and screenwriter. His widely varied
background and activities include a period as a comic strip writer for the
Los Angeles Times Syndicate, librettist for the musical 'Left Out',
scheduled to debut in June 1998, writer of the 'W.C. Fields CD-ROM Golf
Game', guest appearances on 'The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson', and
numerous lectures and workshops on creative writing.
-----
VH3 Program schedule and conference details

"Dr. Sandra Helsel is Conference Director, and we have some
presentations and panels of quite breathtaking Titanicity again this
year, so don't even think of missing out on it. The event website is:

http://www.vrnews.com/eventsvh3main.html

We kick off with a keynote speech from the legendary Norm Badler, after
which the highlights are:

- Bernie Roehl's opening session: the leading v-humans authoring tools -
some very interesting newcomers and some real progress recently in this area

- the Birth of the Metaborg: the launch of a major international initiative
aimed at bringing standards to the v-humans field, now that
commercialization is getting under way

- Scott Prevost's not-to-be-missed Synthetic Dialog Master Class

- Daniel Thalmann's Autonomous Humanoids panel: absolutely the cutting edge
of international v-humans research.

- Prof. Joe Beard and Richard Masur, President of the Screen Actors Guild,
plus the grandsons of Marlene Dietrich and W.C.Fields, and other Hollywood
luminaries, discussing the growing problem of Digital Kidnapping.

- Linda Jacobson's brilliant evening session, accompanying a dinner
sponsored by Silicon Graphics, with entertainment ranging from Nadia
Thalmann's acclaimed Cyberdance project to Digital Domain's Titanic
humanoids."--Mike Bevan, Publisher, VR News

To register:
Meetings Unlimited, 4585 Mt. Bigelow Drive San Diego, CA 92111, USA
By email mailto:humans3 at ix.netcom.com
By phone Call: +1 619/467-9010
By fax +1 619/467-9310

MEDIA INQUIRIES TO:
KillerApp Communications 5670 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90036 Tel: +1
213/938-7600 Fax: +1 213/939-7211

EXHIBIT INQUIRIES TO:
Meetings Unlimited 4585 Mt Bigelow Drive San Diego, CA 92111 Tel: +1
619/467-9010 Fax: +1 619/467-9310 mailto:humans3 at ix.netcom.com

Virtual Humans3 Conference June 16-17, 1998, Hollywood, CA.
http://www.vrnews.com/eventsvh3main.html
---end

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