Intellectual Property SIG

Chair

Margaret McKee, Digital Asset Manager, The Menil Collection

Margaret C. McKee is the Digital Asset Manager at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas. Her department oversees rights and reproductions, and she co-authored the institution’s internal fair use policy. Previously, she worked in photographic and imaging services at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. She holds an AA from Bard College at Simon’s Rock, a BAFA in Art History from the University of New Mexico, and an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. This spring she will complete a two-year term as co-chair of the Visual Resources Association’s Intellectual Property Rights Committee.

 

Mission Statement

The Intellectual Property Special Interest Group (IP SIG) is MCN’s central resource for all members interested in the intellectual property issues involved with technology and museums. Its goal is to identify and examine how intellectual property concerns affect the technological delivery and presentation of museum information to all audiences. The SIG offers both a forum for discussing intellectual property issues and a platform for actively developing new ideas and models that address the intellectual property conundrums which affect the museum community. All aspects of intellectual property fall within the SIG’s purview, from traditional legal regimes such as copyright, trademark, patent, and trade secrets, to related areas such as moral, privacy and publicity rights, and the ethical and moral dimensions that often affect decision-making in the intellectual property arena. The SIG pursues its agenda primarily through MCN activities: it develops program sessions, workshops, and events for conferences, and it submits articles and newsbriefs to MCN’s website.

Communication

In addition to the Member Portal, this SIG utilizes utilizes the Museum Intellectual Property (“MUSIP”) Listserv, forum for the exchange of information between museum professionals working with issues in intellectual property.