Bio
Professor Emily Burns is Senior Trademark Counsel at Google LLC, where she handles all things trademark for YouTube. Professor Burns has over 15 years of experience in all areas of trademark practice, including clearance and prosecution of trademarks domestically and internationally, offensive and defensive trademark disputes in a wide array of tribunals, instituting anti-counterfeit protections with customs authorities worldwide, and overseeing numerous high profile global rebranding projects. Professor Burns also has strong intermediary liability expertise, applying concepts such as parody, commentary and criticism, and First Amendment protection of artistic works in advising on content moderation and content clearance issues.
Prior to joining Google in 2010, Professor Burns was a member of the Litigation and Trademark practice groups at Cooley LLP. She has taught various IP-related courses at UC Law SF since 2009.
Professor Burns received her law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law, where she served as Lead Articles Editor of the San Diego Law Review. In her spare time, she enjoys taking her family to Disneyland, and attempting to convince her children of the virtue of sleeping in on the weekends. During law school, Professor Burns was a judicial intern for Judge M. Margaret McKeown of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.