ROYAL OAK — Fast cars, flying cameras and world-class inventors will celebrate World Intellectual Property Day on Wednesday, April 23, at the Stagecrafters Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak.
The event, sponsored by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the American Intellectual Property Law Assocaition, runs from 3 to 7 p.m. The theme of this year’s event will be “Movies: A Global Passion.”
U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, a 49-year member of the House of Representatives will be attending as a presenter. He is ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, which deals with intellectual property, competition, and the internet. Along with executives from the USPTO, Conyers will award the student winners of the 57th Science and Engineering Fair of Metro Detroit.
Astonishing automobiles will be on display, including the 600-hp Camaro called the “Firebreather” from the recent supernatural thriller movie “Jinn.” Also, a Porsche with a so-called Russian Arm will show how movies capture camera angles inches away from the ground at high speeds. Both vehicles will be made available for attendee selfies.
The event will also feature plenty of unmanned aircraft demonstrations. The public is welcome to come in for a close-up, as well as witness the panoramic vistas fliers can record.
Other speakers will be USPTO Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations Jackie Stone, a 30-year veteran of the agency who oversees chemical, biotechnology and design operations; inventor Kevin Bingham, who will demonstrate his invention The Rope Runner, which allows him to ascend and descend ropes with ease; filmmaker Ajmal Ahmad of “Jinn”; veteran entertainment attorney Howard Hertz, whose clients have included George Clinton, Sippie Wallace, The Romantics, Eminem, Marilyn Manson, and Atlantic Records; Ann Arbor Film Festival president-elect J. Michael Huget, an attorney who has counseled musicians and film makers on funding, distribution and copyright law; Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and animator Gary Schwartz, who has created animation for Disney, Sesame Street and MTV; and College for Creative Studies assistant professor Steve Stanchfield, co-owner of Thunderbean Animation and an award winning character animator, director and historian; and Michael Stewart, chair of the American Intellectual Property Association’s Public Education Committee, who has traveled the world lecturing on patent law.
A business fair with refreshments will precede the speakers from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. where attendees can meet creative people from the industry and take pictures with the Firebreather, as well as the Porsche.
The event is free and open to the public. The theater is at 415 S. Lafayette in Royal Oak. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/WorldIPDayDetroit or email WorldIPDayDetroit@gmail.com.