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Fred von Lohmann

Senior Staff Attorney

+1 415 436 9333 x123
fred@eff.org [PGP key]

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Fred von Lohmann is a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, specializing in intellectual property matters. In that role, he has represented programmers, technology innovators, and individuals in a variety of copyright and trademark litigation, including MGM v. Grokster, decided by the Supreme Court in 2005. He is also involved in EFF's efforts to educate policy-makers regarding the proper balance between intellectual property protection and the public interest in fair use, free expression, and innovation. Before joining EFF, Fred was a visiting researcher with the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology and an associate with the international law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP. He has appeared on CNN, CNBC, ABC's Good Morning America, and Fox News O'Reilly Factor and has been widely quoted in a variety of national publications. Fred has an A.B. from Stanford University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Extended Bio

Fred von Lohmann is a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, specializing in intellectual property matters. In that role, he has represented programmers, technology innovators, and individuals in a variety of copyright and trademark litigation, including MGM v. Grokster, decided by the Supreme Court in 2005. He is also involved in EFF's efforts to educate policy-makers regarding the proper balance between intellectual property protection and the public interest in fair use, free expression, and innovation.

Fred has received many awards and honors in the field of intellectual property law, including the American Library Association's 2010 L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award; recognition as one of California's 50 leading intellectual property lawyers in 2008 and 100 most influential lawyers in 2004-08 by the Daily Journal; the 2008 Public Knowledge IP3 award for intellectual property; recognition as a 2008 Northern California "SuperLawyer"; the 2003 CLAY (California Lawyer of the Year) award in intellectual property from California Lawyer magazine. He has appeared on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, CNN, CNBC, ABC's Good Morning America, Fox News' O'Reilly Factor, C-SPAN, and TechTV's ScreenSavers and has been widely quoted in a variety of publications, including in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Billboard, US News & World Report, CNET News, Wired News, TIME magazine and a number of leading legal newspapers. His opinion pieces have appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and San Jose Mercury News.

Before joining EFF, Fred was a visiting researcher with the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, where his research focused on the impact of peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies on the future of copyright. Prior to his research fellowship, Fred was an attorney with the international law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP, concentrating on transactions and counseling involving the Internet and intellectual property.

Fred also served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Thelton Henderson, of the US District Court for Northern California, and Judge Betty B. Fletcher, of the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He received both his undergraduate and law degrees from Stanford University.

He served as an advisor to the American Law Institute's (ALI) Principles of the Law of Software Contracts project. He also serves on the advisory boards of Public Knowledge and the Future of Music Coalition.

Fred posts frequently to EFF's Deep Links blog. For the story of his "conversion moment" leading to his involvement with EFF issues, read his EFF15 Blog-a-thon post.

His recent written work includes:

Contact:

Fred von Lohmann
Senior Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
fred@eff.org
+1 415-436-9333 x123