James M. Burger Member

Washington, DC

Jim Burger is a member of the law firm of Dow Lohnes specializing in representation of technology companies on intellectual property, communications and government policy matters. Mr. Burger joined the firm's Media, Information and Technologies group in January, 1997. Prior to that, Mr. Burger was a Senior Director in Apple Computer's Law Department. During the nine years he was at Apple, Mr. Burger had a variety of assignments, including representing Apple's Advanced Technology Group, USA Field Sales organizations, and World-Wide Operations and Manufacturing, as well as General Counsel for Europe and Latin America and responsible for world wide government affairs. In addition, from 1991 until 1996, he was Chair of the Information Technology Industry Council's Proprietary Rights Committee.

Mr. Burger has worked extensively on legal and policy issues arising from the confluence of digital technology, intellectual property protection and government regulation, particularly as affecting the Internet. Mr. Burger has participated in resolving such complex issues as DVD copy protection and digital download of music - representing the Computer Industry Group in negotiations developing the DVD Content Scrambling System copy protection rules as well as the Secure Digital Music Initiative. In addition, he has been engaged in such matters as the efforts to amend copyright law from leading the negotiations to exclude the computer industry from the Audio Home Recording Act, to avoid passage of the Digital Video Recording Act and to accommodate the protection of intellectual property on the Internet as well as the efforts to change the encryption export rules to protect digital communications.

A native of New York City, he received his Bachelors (with Honors), Masters and Law (cum laude) degrees from New York University School of Law, where he served as an editor of the NYU Law Journal. For seven years, he was an adjunct professor at University of Virginia Law School, where he taught Advanced Administrative law.

Memberships and Activities

Adjunct Professor - University of Virginia School of Law, 1973-1982

Chair - Proprietary Rights Committee, Information Technology Industry Council, 1990-1996

Chairman - Alliance for the Promotion of Software Innovation, 1993-1996

Member - United States Trade Representative & Department of Commerce, Industrial Function Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property Rights For Trade Policy Matters, 1990-Present

Member - Federal Communications Bar Association

Co-Chair of the Federal Communications Bar Association Ad Hoc Intellectual Property Committee

Editor - New York University Law School Law Review 

Events

January 31 - February 2, 2007: Hollywood Post Alliance 2007 Technology Retreat

February 23, 2007: Sixth Annual Hot Topics in Intellectual Property Law Symposium

Publications

April 2008: Peer-to-Peer Filing Sharing on Campus Under Fire Yet Again

June 27, 2005: Grokster Case Decided

News

September 12, 2005: Former Congressman Bob Carr Joins Dow Lohnes

jburger@dowlohnes.com

Education

Bar Admissions