Art Neill

Art is the founder of New Media Rights, and practices public interest law in the areas of internet, intellectual property, and communications law. Art also serves as an attorney for Utility Consumers' Action Network.

In 2011, Art was appointed as a member of the Federal Communication Commission's Consumer Advisory Committee.

New Media Rights provides and pro bono legal resources, and assistance regarding intellectual property, licensing, and other legal issues that arise with new technologies and media, along with a free media studio.

Publications:

"Social Media and the Law: Here Comes Everybody!"  2010 May CEB Business Law Quarterly (A publication of the University of California and the State Bar of California)

"Suing John Doe: A new wave of filesharing lawsuits" Fall 2011 Journal of Internet Law (Aspen Publishers)

Interviews:

• Talk with Campus Progress about a federal bill that aims to make streaming of copyrighted works a felony.
• Discussion with Peter Holslin about Fair Use, sampling, and the case of TV Girl's song takedown
• Interview with PC World about what to do if you are caught in a filesharing case
• Interview with Dave Maas of CityBeat about Open Government and New Media Rights' efforts to support individuals  and organizations that pursue government transparency
• Interview at Blogworld 2010 with TechZulu Law's Lisa Borodkin and Christina Gagnier on New Media Rights and Drumbeat San Diego.
• The why, what, where, and how of New Media Rights on Art Rocks radio with who?  Philly Joe Swendoza.
• Discussion with San Francisco Chronicle on New York Federal Court's decision to compel Google to give Viacom YouTube users' viewer history

Talks:

• October 2011 Panelist at Media Law in the Digital Age conference co-produced by Citizen Media Law Project at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Kennesaw State's Center for Sustainable Journalism for session "Apps and Wireless: New Platforms for Online Content Providers and Journalists"

• October 2011 Basics of copyright and how Creative Commons licenses work - San Diego City College

• August 2011 Creative Commons for Low Power & Internet Radio stations at the Media Arts Center San Diego with Activist San Diego, Prometheus Radio, and the World Beat Center

• April 2011 Panelist at National Conference for Media Reform for Session on Copyrightⁱ and Intellectual Propertyⁱ Law

• March 2011 The Business of Social Media Law

• February 2011 Drumbeat San Diego - "Basics of Copyright & How Creative Commons Licenses Work"

• May 2010 Media Arts Center filmmaker meetup: "How Creative Commons licenses work"

• March 2010 LA Media Reform Conference at Occidental College: "How the Law empowers citizen media: Fair Use and Creative Commons licenses"

• August 2009 Media Arts Center filmmaker meetup: "The Legal Aspects of Documentary Filmmaking & Online Video" (Emphasis on the Fair Use doctrine, Creative Commons licensing, and releases.

• June 2009 San Diego County Bar Entertainment and Sports Law Society meeting: "Social Media & the Law"

• Spring 2009 California Western School of Law Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium: "Social Media & the Law"

New Media Rights provides a free media studio and pro bono legal resources, and assistance regarding intellectual property, licensing, and other legal issues that arise with new technologies and media.

With a focus on citizen creators and nonprofits, Art has provided legal advice regarding limiting the potential liability of interactive websites which utilize extensive user generated or aggregated content, the use of Creative Commons licenses, and proprietary and open source software licenses. Art also has succeeded as lead counsel in defeating an effort by MGM to have UCAN remove content parodying its logo.

New Media Rights has also participated in the regulatory process at the U.S. Copyright Office regarding DMCAⁱ exemptions and compulsory licensing.

The New Media Rights Studio facilitates nonprofits and individual creators, artists, and filmmakers in collaborating and producing their own videos, podcasts, and multimedia projects, while encouraging the use of open source technologies and licenses. The use of the studio and accompanying licensing and legal advice, is provided free of charge. The studio also internally produces various informative, educational, parody, and remixed videos and podcasts, licensed under Creative Commons' licenses, through its resident filmmaker.

With UCAN, Art has achieved numerous victories and refunds for consumers, and has served as counsel in cases at the California Public Utilities Commission as well as Federal Court against companies such as MCI/Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, Telepacific/Mpower, and SDG&E.

Art has made numerous appearances in the local, national, and international media regarding consumer communications, technology, and intellectual property related legal issues.

Art is a tech geek at heart, and has participated in open source projects such as the content management system Drupal, as well as designing databases and heavily trafficked user-generated content driven websites. Mr. Neill is also an musician, and plays the trumpet, guitar, piano, and sings.

Additional Biography and Interviews

• Member of the California Bar (admitted 2006)
• Member of the San Diego County Bar Association

Recent interviews:

• Discussion with San Diego CityBeat's Peter Holslin about International Roaming charges on cell phone bills that purportedly originate in Mexico
• How to cut your cell phone bill with "Consumer" Bob Hansen of NBC San Diego.
• New York Times interview about children with cell phones and controlling unauthorized charges on your bill.
• ABC News interview regarding top cell phone company gripes.
• Discussion of 2009 Credit Card Reform Legislation with John Mattes on San Diego Channel 6.
• How to trim your phone, cable, satellite, and Internet bills in a down economy with San Diego Channel 6
• Discussion with San Francisco Chronicle on New York Federal Court's decision to compel Google to give Viacom YouTube users' viewer history
• Discussion of the FCC's recent review of ETF, and possible federal preemption of current lawsuits with NBC.
• Regarding subscription media and data services with the Seattle Public Intelligencer
• Recent cell phone lawsuits and the legal climate in the communications industry with Businessweek
• Verizon's takeover of SureWest and the consequences for consumers with the Sacramento Bee
• Regarding UCAN's federal class action against Sprint with Fiercewireless.com and NBC San Diego.
• Video on tips and pitfalls of buying a cell phone with NBC San Diego
• A discussion of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution for consumers with Professor Linda Fritz on the UCAN.org podcast
• News interview on Iphone hacks, open networks, and cancelling your cell phone contract
• A conversation with Bob McCormick of Money 101 about how to terminate your cell phone contract
• Tips on negotiating with cell phone companies, an interview with Real Simple Magazine (also published on CNN.com)
• A discussion of a class action lawsuit against webloyalty.com for scamming online consumers on KGTV.

Academic Background

Graduate of The College of William & Mary (B.A. Government, minor eqv. Economics) and the University of San Diego School of Law (focus on public interest and intellectual property law)

Contributing author to the California Regulatory Law Reporter regarding the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Dental Board.

Awarded the University of San Diego School of Law Pro Bono Service Recognition Award

Awarded highest honors in Trademarks and Law, Science, and Technology courses.

Professional Background

Adjunct Professor of law at California Western School of Law teaching the course Social Media and the Law.

Attorney for Utility Consumers' Action Network and founder and director of New Media Rights. August 2006 to present.

Law Clerk for Lorraine Donaldson. 2004-2005. Assisted with practice specialized in Intellectual Property, particularly patent drafting.

Law Clerk for San Diego City Attorney's Office - Civil Division. Summer and Fall, 2004. Work included American with Disabilities act, California Environmental Quality Act, among many other cases.

LSAT Instructor for Kaplan, 2004.

Public Information Officer/Press Secretary for the Office of the Secretary of State of Maryland. 2002-2003. Involved in Maryland redistricting based on 2000 Census, analysis of electronic voting machines, and reform of Maryland's felony disenfranchisement laws, among other duties.

Special Assistant to the Secretary of State of Maryland 2001-2002.

Director of Member Services for Mid-Atlantic LifeSpan, the largest non-profit trade association of senior care providers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Other information / interests

• Art is a native of Annapolis, MD
• Basque culture

Here's some work from Art you can remix.  "Davidsonville Maryland Mushroom" by Art Neill, openly licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0