Brian Higgins

Brian Wm. Higgins is an intellectual property and technology attorney at Blank Rome LLP where he founded and co-leads the firm’s cross-practice Artificial Intelligence Team. He is the author of numerous works about AI and the law, including a recently-published chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Artificial Intelligence Governance.

Recent Articles by

Robots and IP: Protecting Faces, Expressions and Vocalizations

Preventing others from copying your robot’s AI-driven face, expressions and vocalizations requires a comprehensive intellectual property strategy. That’s one of the takeaways from a pending dispute between robot makers as described in Digital Dream Labs, LLC v. Living Technology (Shenzhen) Co. (pending in the Western District of Pennsylvania). The case involves plaintiff DDL, which owns registered copyrights in desktop humanoid-vehicle hybrid robots called COZMO and VECTOR (see below left and middle), and defendant Living.AI, whose headphone-wearing, skateboard riding, humanoid robot called EMO (below right) is alleged by DDL to infringe its copyrights. Both companies reportedly deployed AI software on their robots that selects graphical animations and sounds to output based on the robot’s reactions with its environment and user.