Michael Ayers Email & Phone Number

California, United States

Bonsall, Ca

Offering expertise in technology standards and licensing, including formation, operations, and management, as well as relevant legal issues, including privacy. Providing outside general counsel services to technology companies and standards groups.

San Diego, Ca

As member of corporate management team, ran in-house legal department, providing legal advice to CEO, management team, and Board of Directors on full range of issues relevant to operation and growth of an established leader in the development and implementation of Emmy award-winning (2015) audio watermarking technology for audiovisual content, including music, movies, and television.Managed licensing program for content protection product (Cinavia), the mandatory audio watermarking technology for Blu-ray Disc. Integrally involved in relationships with movie studios and device manufacturers.Prepared licensing program for company's suite of products and technologies for broadcast television, Aspect. The core element of Aspect, Verance's VP1 watermark, was selected as the standard audio watermark for the ATSC 3.0 "Next Gen TV" specifications, approved by the FCC in 2018 for use by broadcasters and TV manufacturers for the triggering of ancillary services (e.g., interactivity, personalization, audience measurement). Developed privacy and data protection construct to meet all relevant standards, regulations, and law.Supervised in-country Country Managers for company's activities and customers in Japan and Korea.Significantly reduced legal department expenses by bringing license drafting, trademark, and signficant element of patent prosecution matters in-house, as well as introducing a stringent review process for the approval of patent prosecution decisions. Managed litigation to positive outcomes, including the renegotiation of an oppressive license agreement and the dismissal of a patent suit brought in the Eastern District of Texas against Verance and multiple of its licensees.Worked with federal law enforcement in matter relating to theft of confidential information.

Selected unanimously by group Founders/Members to assume dual role in copy protection development/licensing entity formed by Disney, Intel, MIcrosoft, Panasonic, Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures, Toshiba, Warner Bros. to develop and license the AACS copy protection technology for movies on Blu-ray and HD DVD.As LLC Manager, supervised back-office and cryptographic key generation facility operations; facilitated LLC business such as Member approvals/decisions, distributions to Members, budgets, etc.As Business Group Chair, acted as leader and public face of main decision-making arm of AACS LA. Successfully navigated competing agendas to consistently achieve positive and amicable results. Was responsible for leading group to initial approval and issuance of AACS technology specifications and license agreements, as well as through a series of updated and additional specifications and license agreements which applied to new circumstances and additional technology functionality.Worked with outside counsel and the public prosecutor's office in the Caribbean nation of Antigua & Barbuda in the pursuit of a major purveyor of illegal copy protection circumvention software, including provding testimony in open court, eventually resulting in cooperation from credit card companies agreeing to cease processing transactions for this product and the eventual shutdown of the entire company.Represented AACS publicly in numerous press interviews, as well as in providing updates and presentations to related and interested industry groups.

Managed back-office and cryptographic key generation facility operations for five-company (Hitachi, Intel, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba) organization dedicated to specifying and licensing the DTCP technology for copy protection of content on high-speed, bi-directional connections between home AV devices.

Irvine, Ca

Represented Japanese parent company in numerous technology standards and licensing organizations related to copy protection and digital media, including DVD Copy Control Association (DVD copy protection), 4C Entity (copy protection for DVD-Audio, and content on removable/portable media and devices), 5C Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator (copy protection for high-speed bi-directional connections between AV devices), SD-3C (licensing for the SD Card flash memory media card format), and Advanced Access Content Sytem Licensing Administrator (copy protection for Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD). Drafted and negotiated agreements among diverse participants in both standards and licensing entities, including formation documents, collaboration agreements, license documents, and subsequent agreements to address unique or later-developing issues.Frequent and close interactions with numerous international companies including major movie studios (Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Disney, Fox, etc.), consumer electronics companies (Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi, Pioneer, etc.), and information technology companies (Microsoft, Intel, etc.). Performed leadership roles in multiple of these cross-industry organizations, including acting as President of DTLA, LLC and LLC Manager and Business Group Chair of AACS LA, LLC.Contributed to international standards efforts such as Europe's Digital Video Broadcasting Project (DVB), as they developed the Copy Protection and Content Management specification for digital TV in Europe.Frequent and extensive domestic and international travel during entire tenure.

Long Beach, Ca

Patent prosecution and litigation. Technology areas included advertising devices, medical devices, security systems, PC peripherals, and household appliances. Activities covered all aspects of the life cycle of US and non-US patents, including original applications (US and PCT), continuations, responses to Office Actions, federal litigation and ITC proceedings, licensing and assignment/transfer agreements.

Jd, Law

Activities and Societies: Editor-in-Chief, Whittier Law Review

Mpa, Public Administration

Including Certificate in Information Systems Management

Bs, Aerospace Engineering