Traphagen, Mark

Mark Traphagen is the principal of Traphagen Law PLLC and practices copyright, trademark and unfair competition, privacy and publicity rights, and advertising law.   He teaches  International Intellectual Property at George Washington University Law School and Entertainment Law at George Mason University Law School, and he is the author of the U.S. chapter of  the treatise Copyright Throughout the World.

Mark has represented a wide range of clients, including producers of award-winning documentary films and television miniseries, global news organizations, NBA, WNBA, and NHL teams, authors, songwriters, music publishers, academic publishers, apparel companies, wine and spirit producers, and non-profit associations.

Mark's current focus is on the consequences of generative and agentic AI systems for copyright, trademark, performers rights, and other intellectual property rights.   He is co-chair of the Subcommittee on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Content Creators and Other Stakeholders of the New York City Bar Association's Presidential Task Force on AI and Digital Technologies and a member of the New York State Bar Association's Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Committee.

Mark had earlier served as senior public policy and international trade counsel for the Software Publishers Association and advised the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition on obligations of U.S. trading partners under the WTO TRIPS Agreement. 

Mark's career accomplishments include representing copyright owners in concluding the WIPO Copyright Treaty and in enacting the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, testifying in a U.S. International Trade Commission investigation of China for widespread copyright piracy, and challenging limitations on copyright and trademark exclusive rights in landmark WTO TRIPS disputes.