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Christensen | O'Connor | Johnson | Kindness

Peter W. Becker

Of Counsel

Pete Becker develops and implements global trademark, copyright, trade secret, and domain name protection, policing, and licensing strategies for clients. He has decades of experience building, maintaining, monetizing, and right-sizing clients’ soft IP portfolios. Pete has cleared global branding runways for large (US$500M+) new product launches by identifying, evaluating, and eliminating trademark obstacles in over 150 jurisdictions. While serving as in-house counsel, he managed one of the world’s largest domain portfolios.

Pete also supports all non-patent aspects of IP in M&A, having overseen soft IP due diligence and strategic assessment in multinational acquisitions valued at over US$1B.  Pete’s practice includes brand management, licensing, risk analysis, clearance, prosecution, oppositions, uniform domain name dispute resolution policy proceedings, customs seizures, policing, and defensive conflicts.

Pete brings to private practice nearly 20 years of management experience in the IP departments of Microsoft and Amazon. This gives him a pragmatic perspective when helping clients leverage their IP assets to achieve business goals.

Pete is a member of the International Trademark Association and serves as a pro bono attorney for the Washington Lawyers for the Arts. He enjoys writing and presenting on topics related to intellectual property law. Pete has taught as an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School. Prior to becoming an attorney, he was a high school social studies teacher.  Pete was recognized by World Trademark Review as one of the WTR 300: The World’s Leading Corporate Trademark Professionals and is named in the publication’s WTR 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals.

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  • Professional Experience

    • Christensen O’Connor Johnson KindnessPLLC
      Seattle, WA, 2020 – present
    • Lane Powell PC
      Seattle, WA, 2018 – 2020
    • Amazon.com, Inc.
      Seattle, WA, 2014 – 2018
    • Microsoft Corporation
      Redmond, WA, 2001 – 2014
    • Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C.
      Milwaukee, WI, 1991 – 2001

  • Technical Experience

    • Adjunct Professor, Intellectual Property Law
      Marquette University Law School, 1994 – 2000

  • Professional Affiliations

    • Intellectual Property Owners Association
    • International Trademark Association (INTA)
    • Licensing Executive Society
    • Washington Lawyers for the Arts
      Pro Bono Attorney
    • Washington State Bar Association
      Member, Intellectual Property Section 
      Executive Committee Member, Liquor, Cannabis & Psychedelics Law Section

  • Presentations & Publications

    Presentations

    • “Trademarks/AI: Trademark Issues Created by Emerging Tech," Intellectual Property Owners Association Annual Meeting; panelist (Boston, MA, September 2023).
    • “Intellectual Property Overview: Liquor, Cannabis & Psychedelics,” Washington State Bar Association; panelist (Seattle, WA, June 2023).
    • "Legal Considerations for the Food, Beverage, and Hospitality Industry,” Washington State Bar Association; panelist (Seattle, WA, February 2021 and May 2022).
    • “Trade Secrets & Rights of Publicity,” Alexander Blewett III School of Law (Missoula, MT, 2021 and 2022).
    • "COVID-19 and the Impact on Intellectual Property," Washington State Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section (Seattle, WA, June 2020).
    • "IP Issues for the Business Lawyer," Washington State Bar Association (Seattle, WA, August 2019).
    • "Cannabis & Intellectual Property," Oregon State Bar; panelist (Portland, OR, May 2019).
    • "Honing Your IP Strategy," Association of Corporate Counsel, Washington State Chapter (Redmond, WA, September 2018).
    • “The Great Leveler - Innovation & the Internet,” IP Day in Montana (Missoula, MT, 2018).
    • “gTLD’s, Domains, and Brands” Colorado CLE Conference (Aspen, CO, 2014).
    • “Enforcement of Design Rights Across Multiple Jurisdictions,” International Trademark Association Annual Meeting (Beijing, China, 2013).
    • “IP Enforcement in the Cloud,” McCarthy Symposium (New York, NY, 2012).
    • “IP in Video Games,” Thomas Jefferson School of Law (San Diego, CA, 2011).
    • “Trademark Enforcement, gTLD’s and Domain Disputes,” INTA Trademark Administrators’ Conference (Los Angeles, CA, 2011).
    • “USPTO Trademark Examiners Training Session: Video Game Industry,” USPTO (Alexandria, VA, 2011).
    • “Domains and Trademarks,” McCarthy Symposium (Redmond, WA, 2011).
    • “Keywords, Search Engines, and Trademark Enforcement,” INTA Leadership Meeting (Phoenix, AZ, 2010).
    • “Keywords and Trademarks,” McCarthy Symposium (San Francisco, CA, 2009).
    • “Trademark Enforcement Strategies,” IPLaw Summit (Las Vegas, NV, 2009).
    • Moderating as Co-Chair, INTA Trademarks in Cyberspace Conference (San Francisco, CA, 2009).
    • “OHIM Trademark Examiners Training Session: Entertainment Industry,” OHIM (Alicante, Spain, 2008).
    • “USPTO Trademark Examiners Training Session: Entertainment Industry,” USPTO (Alexandria, VA, 2008).
    • “Keywords and Trademarks” Colorado CLE Conference (Vail, CO, 2008).
    • “Trademarks and Search Engines,” IPO Annual Meeting (New York, NY, 2007).
    • “Search Engines, Keywords, and Trademark Enforcement,” INTA Annual Meeting (Chicago, IL, 2007).
    • “Combating Cybersquatting: IP Enforcement on the Internet,” INTA In-House Counsel Workshop (New York, NY, 2007).
    • “Online from Anywhere: E-Commerce and Start-up Opportunities,” West Virginia University College of Law – From Coal To Content Conference (Morgantown, WV, 2006).
    • “Building, Maintaining and Right-Sizing Large Trademark Portfolios,” INTA In-House Counsel Workshop (Chicago, IL, 2006).
    • “OHIM Trademark Examiners Training Session: High-Tech Industry,” OHIM (Alicante, Spain, 2005).
    • “USPTO Trademark Examiners Training Session: High-Tech Industry,” USPTO (Alexandria, VA, 2005).
    • “Intellectual Property Protection for Start-Ups,” PriceWaterhouseCoopers Leadership Forum (Orlando, FL, 2002).
    • “Trademark Selection and Enforcement,” Corporate Practice Institute (Milwaukee, WI, 2002).


    Publications 

    • Client Alert, “U.S. Copyright Office Announces Copyright Claims Board Accepting Claims Beginning June 16, 2022,” (June 2022).
    • “Headspace International LLC v. Podworks Corp.: Good News (With Warnings) for Marijuana Trademark Licensors,” The Licensing Journal, Vol. 39, No. 2, 2019, Becker, P.

Service

Industries

Education

    • J.D., cum laude, Marquette University Law School, 1991
    • B.A., Education and History, Marquette University, 1980

Bar & Court Admissions

    • Bar Admissions: Washington, Wisconsin (inactive)
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