E-Culture?
TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 3:30-5:00 P.M.
Reception to follow program.

Program at National Building Museum Auditorium
401 F Street NW, Washington, DC
Call 202-783-5277 to reserve, seating is limited.
Free and open to the public. 


Should culture play by the same rules as commerce in the on-line world?  The commercial promise of the new information technology is now commonplace.  What are the implications for culture, in both for-profit and non-profit sectors?  In an on-line environment dominated by market forces, are different rates, rules, and responsibilities necessary when culture is involved?

To discuss these questions, join:
Moderator Michael Shapiro, General Counsel, International Intellectual Property Institute;  Donald Druker, Program Officer, Technology Opportunities Program, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce;  David Eisner, Vice President, America Online Foundation [invited];  William Gilcher, Director of Media Projects, U.S. and Canada, Goethe-Institut, Washington, D.C.;  David Green, Executive Director, National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage.

Biography

Donald Druker
Donald Druker is Program Officer of the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the United States Department of Commerce. Formerly known as the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program, TOP provides grants to bring the benefits of an advanced national information infrastructure to communities throughout the United States. From 1976 through 1988, Mr. Druker was director of Radio Projects for the National Endowment for the Arts, where he also created the Media Arts Centers program in 1978. He has published a variety of articles on radio and film and has served on the faculty of the University of Chicago.

Biography

David Eisner
Vice President, AOL Foundation

Biography

William Gilcher
William Gilcher is Director of North American Projects with and about the Media at the Goethe-Institut in Washington, DC. An international, non-profit organization, the Goethe-Institut fosters appreciation for German language and culture and pursues intercultural dialogue via electronic media. Prior to joining the Goethe-Institut Dr. Gilcher advised the White House on arts appointments in 1993 and served as Media Program Officer of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1894 to 1989. He has produced numerous domestic programs and international teleconferences on cultural policy, the internet, and youth issues. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.

Biography

Michael Shapiro
A consultant to museums and cultural organizations in the United States and around the world, Michael S. Shapiro serves as General Counsel of the International Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI). IIPI assists governments, individuals, businesses, and research institutions in using intellectual property law as a tool of economic growth and development. Dr. Shapiro teaches at George Mason University and has written extensively on a braod range of legal and cultural topics. From 1993 to 1998 he served as General Counsel for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dr. Shapiro holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization from Brown University and a JD from the George Washington University Law School.

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