WASHINGTON D.C. - The Progress & Freedom Foundation's 12th Annual Aspen Summit, scheduled to kick off this Sunday, will provide attendees with several opportunities to hear insightful and frank discussion on intellectual property issues. A Monday discussion panel and working dinner will highlight the role of intellectual property in today's global economy.

Intellectual property issues topics affect businesses beyond the creative fields. Participants in the discussion panel," The Definition and Protection of Global IP," reflect the importance of intellectual property across industries and worldwide. Panelists include The Honorable Jon Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director United States Patent and Trademark Office; Michael D. Fricklas, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Viacom, Inc.; and Michael Mudd, Director of Public Policy, Asia-Pacific for the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). The panel will discuss the challenges of enforcing intellectual property rules in a world where ideas and information flow effortlessly across borders. Solveig Singleton, Senior Adjunct Fellow and contributor to PFF's Center for the Study of Digital Property Rights, will serve as moderator of the panel.

Monday night's popular working dinners will feature talk on global attitudes towards intellectual property. "Triumphs and Troubles: The State of Intellectual Property Worldwide," hosted by Jim DeLong, PFF Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for the Study of Digital Property (IPcentral.info), will feature the expertise of academics, industry representatives and policymakers. These experts will discuss the importance of copyright and patents in the world markets and will discuss reform measures. Working dinner participants are now listed on the online agenda and full topic details of each dinner will be released tomorrow.

Further details about the 2006 PFF Aspen Summit, to be held at the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen, Colorado, can be found on our web site. Registration for the event can be performed online. Media, as always, are welcome to attend for free, and should contact Amy Smorodin at 202-289-8928 or asmorodin@pff.org.

The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. It is a 501(c)(3) research & educational organization.