Buzzfeed’s Assistant GC on the Growing Landscape of IP Protection and Online Content Creation

In this episode, Branddy Spence speaks with Randy Houston Jr., Assistant General Counsel at Buzzfeed, and who has been working in the field of IP and entertainment law for 27 years.

During the episode, they discuss the unique challenges of protecting IP in the ever-evolving digital world, particularly with the shift from traditional brick and mortar businesses to online platforms. Randy shares his experiences working with startups that broadcast live musical performances over the internet in the late 1990s, his involvement in two groundbreaking projects: broadband initiatives in the early 2000s and TV Everywhere with NBC Sports in the 2010s, where he sees IP protection going, and his advice for newcomers in the industry. 

Topics discussed: 

• Randy emphasizes the importance of keeping up with technology to stay competitive and relevant in any industry. 
• The importance of having great relationships with foreign counsel and the need for new copyright laws to govern and protect content created via artificial intelligence. 
• Protecting IP in the digital world presents unique challenges, as businesses shift from traditional brick and mortar to online platforms.
• Why keeping great relationships with foreign counsel are important, as IP is global.
• New copyright laws and what may be needed to govern and protect content created via artificial intelligence.
• The challenges media companies face with social media and the use of other people's content, such as snippets of songs, images, or videos, especially with the rise of platforms like TikTok. 
• Randy’s top three pieces of advice for IP professionals in the face of ever-evolving technology.