Karen Bernstein

Principal

Professions: Lawyer

Certifications: BS, JD

Languages: English

Bernstein IP
New York, NY, United States

FORUM

Practice Areas

Karen J. Bernstein is an American intellectual property lawyer. Karen has practiced domain name law since 2001. She writes an speaks often about intellectual property and UDRP issues and has been interviewed on numerous occasions regarding in top publications such as World Trademark Review, Yahoo! Finance, and many other online and offline publications.

Professional Experience

BERNSTEIN IP – New York, New York – 2007-Present (www.bernsteinip.com)

Principal

Advice and counsel clients on all aspects of trademark, copyright, and domain name dispute law, ccTLD, and new gTLD issues. Representing clients in disputes before the federal courts, international arbitration and mediation tribunals, UDRP panels, and administrative proceedings. Drafting and negotiating ICANN Policy documents, complex domain purchase and sale/lease/licenses and equity buyout agreements; rendering trademark and copyright clearance opinion letters; prosecuting trademark registrations; enforcing and defending trademark rights; conducting due diligence, and negotiating IP license agreements.

DOMEN D.O.O., Podgorica, Montenegro – 2012-Present

Outside U.S. General Counsel

Outside U.S. General Counsel for Registry Operator of the ccTLD, .Me. Responsible for U.S. legal business affairs. Address Internet Policy issues and, when requested, Official Government of Montenegro business in connection with ICANN and related party issues that may arise from time to time. Prepared the RFP and negotiated the award to the Registry Operator of the .Bar New gTLD on behalf of the Municipality of Bar in Montenegro.

PRYOR CASHMAN SHERMAN & FLYNN LLP, New York, New York – 2006-2007

Associate

Helped manage all aspects of brand development and enforcement for fashion and music clients in 130-attorney entertainment firm, including trademark and copyright prosecution in federal court and in UDRP proceedings. Duties also included clearance and opinion work; licensing and settlement agreements; and related contractual issues. Negotiated and drafted a variety of sponsorship and endorsement deals for celebrities and brand owners. Supervised and managed international online and traditional anti-counterfeiting enforcement, which included coordinating with U.S. Customs.

AMSTER, ROTHSTEIN & EBENSTEIN, LLP, New York, New York – 2001-2005

Associate

Associate handling all aspects of intellectual property law in 45-attorney IP boutique. Conducted trademark clearance searches; rendered trademark search opinion letters; supervised trademark registrations; enforced trademark rights in UDRP proceedings and through online and traditional anti-counterfeiting programs.  Responsibilities also included handling transactional-related IP matters, including negotiating license agreements and related copyright/trademark contracts. Litigation practice included conducting legal research and drafting legal memoranda; pleadings, discovery, and motions in trademark, copyright, and patent cases. Engaged in motion practice; conducted and managed discovery; took/defended depositions; attended court hearings; and presented arguments before the federal court.

Arbitration Experience

Dispute Resolution Training

World Intellectual Property Organization, Certification (12/20)

WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Workshop

World Intellectual Property Organization, Certification (5/15) New York, New York

Advanced Workshop on Domain Name Dispute Resolution

Representative Matters as a Party Representative

Kolmac Clinic, LLC v. S Jon Grant,

Case No. FA2105001944933 (Forum, June 8, 2021)

JDC Healthcare Management, Inc., d/b/a Jefferson Dental Clinics v. Online Admin/Dot Badger Domains,

Case No. FA1609001694712 (Forum, Oct. 27, 2016)

ADP, LLC v. Domain Admin / Whois Privacy Corp.,

Case No. FA1508001632089 (Forum Sept. 10, 2015)

Erica Ehm Communications, Ltd. v. Perfect Privacy, LLC / Spyro Vassiliadis,

Case No. D2014-2073 (WIPO Feb. 9, 2015)

Freetech Services, Ltd. v N/A,

FA 1408001574454 (Nat. Arb. Forum Sept. 29, 2014)

Johnson & Johnson v. Widome,

Case No. D2013-1281 (WIPO Oct. 15, 2013)

CharterX, Inc. and Wyvern Consulting, Ltd. v. Gregg Westgate,

Case No. FA 1335604 (Nat. Arb. Forum Aug. 16, 2010)

Truth Out v. Ash,

Case No. FA 1317457 (Nat. Arb. Forum May 26, 2010)

Combined Insurance Group Ltd v. iclicks c/o Michael Mayder,

Case No. FA 1261538 (Nat. Arb. Forum June 25, 2009)

Professional and Other Activities

Awards:

Super Lawyer, New York City Metropolitan Area (2024-2025)

Professional Affiliations:

Subject Matter Expert, ICANN GNSO Small Teams – New gTLD Subsequent Procedures (2023-Present)

Member, International Trademark Association (2007-Present)

Member, ICANN GNSO Intellectual Property Constituency (2015-Present)

Member, ICANN GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Policy Development Process Working Group (2016-2021)

Member, New York State Bar Association (2001-Present)

Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association (2017-Present)

Full Member, American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP) (1983-Present)

Publications

Bucking The UDRP Trend

World Trademark Review, 60 (April/May 2010)

Project.me Domain Dispute Sets Dangerous Precedent

    Domainnamewire.com (Nov. 20, 2009)

The Status Of The Law On Sound Recordings As Works Made For Hire

New York State Bar Association: Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Journal (12/2000)

Net Zero: The Evisceration Of The Sentencing Guidelines Under The No Electronic Theft Act

27 New England J. on Criminal and Civil Confinement 57 (2001)

The No Electronic Theft Act: The Music Industry’s New Instrument In The Fight Against Internet Piracy,

7 UCLA Ent. L. Rev. 325 (2000)

Academic Qualifications

Juris Doctor,

New England Law, 2001

University of San Francisco,

BS, Organizational Behavior, 1997

 

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