Maria Strong

International Intellectual Property Alliance

2101 L Street, NW, Suite 1000

Washington, DC 20037

Tel: (202) 833-4198

For a pdf version of Ms. Strong's full biography, click here.

Maria Strong represents the International Intellectual Property Alliance^® (IIPA^®), a private sector coalition of seven U.S. trade associations which represent over 1,900 companies producing and distributing materials protected by copyright laws throughout the world, including: business applications software; entertainment software on all platforms; theatrical films, television programs, home videos, and digital representations of audiovisual works; music, records, CDs, and audiocassettes; and textbooks, tradebooks, reference and professional publications and journals (in both electronic and print media).

Her primary duties for the IIPA focus on copyright legal reform and enforcement matters throughout the Americas, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe. IIPA actively participates in bilateral and multilateral efforts to improve international protection and enforcement of copyrighted materials, including effective implementation of the WTO TRIPS Agreement and ratification of the WIPO Internet Treaties. Ms. Strong has participated in trade investigations brought under U.S. trade laws against foreign countries for their failure to provide adequate and effective copyright protection to U.S. copyright owners. She is part of the IIPA team which researches, produces and lobbies the IIPA’s annual “Special 301” report to the U.S. Trade Representative on copyright developments in selected countries. On behalf of clients, she advocates for high-level copyright and enforcement obligations in ongoing U.S. negotiations for regional and bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTA). She has participated in investigations brought under U.S. trade laws (such as the Generalized System of Preferences) against foreign countries for their failure to provide adequate and effective copyright protection to U.S. copyright owners. She also works with U.S. government agencies on domestic issues such as interagency coordination of IPR programs abroad and IPR training for U.S. foreign service officers. Ms. Strong has spoken at international copyright conferences and trade workshops in Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago, Poland and the United Kingdom. She has represented IIPA since 1991.

Ms. Strong also is Of Counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. She earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (1985), her M.A. in Communications Management from the University of Southern California (Annenberg School of Communications, 1987), and her J.D. from the George Washington University (1990). During 1990-1991, she served at the Federal Communications Commission as an Attorney-Advisor. She joined the law practice of Eric H. Smith (1991-1994), and then served with Smith & Metalitz LLP (1995-2006) and Smith, Strong & Schlesinger LLP (2006-2007). She is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia (active status) and California (inactive status), as well as the Copyright Society of the U.S.A, the American Bar Association, and the Federal Communications Bar Association. Ms. Strong is also admitted to practice before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Between 1999-2001, she served as Chair of the Copyright Committee of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the District of Columbia Bar.