LIT Podcast: Where Law, Innovation & Technology Meet the Culture

In this final episode, Shontavia and Tonya reminisce about their first season, their favorite episodes and their podcasting plans, individually and as a dynamic duo, as they a a BIG reveal and discuss the transition from the LIT Podcast to "Know Hustle Flow", the NEW topical focus with the same unique brand of edutainment. Visit LITBraintrust.com and follow on all social media platforms @LITBraintrust.

Each new level and stage in life requires a new YOU to show up. What better way to prepare for the new year and new decade that’s just two weeks away, than with a replay of season 1, episode 7 when we first talked about the next wave of innovation and how to upskill yourself to upgrade your professional lives in a rapidly-changing world. We also cover everything from Lee Daniels’ “doing too much” moment at SXSW (both Tonya and Shontavia definitely relate) to Mel Robbins’ simple but profound rule to help you get your entire personal and professional lives together. Tonya talks about Wells Fargo’s stablecoin cryptocurrency and provides upskilling action items for today’s “new collar” jobs for the skilled professional. In Shontavia’s world, it was already the next day because she was in Sweden at an entrepreneurship conference. She was riding high on the wave of operating within one’s life purpose and was very excited about her opportunity to interview Ratan Tata, the popular Indian philanthropist, industrialist and investor. Her world tour is part exciting and part exhausting. Aren’t they all!? Then Shontavia critiques Whitney Houston’s hologram going on tour and wonders if Whitney really wants to be working from the grave. We both ponder the legal implications of it all. Follow us on Twitter and IG @LITBraintrust @ShontaviaJEsq @IPProfEvans. Trouble seeing the full-length show notes? Visit us at http://www.LITBraintrust.com.

Shontavia and Tonya are full this episode, full of Thanksgiving meals and full of excitement for all the possibilities in their entrepreneurial endeavors. Shontavia declares 2020 as her “Year of Vision” to reconnect with her entrepreneurial spirit as she prepares to launch The Shontavia Show™. Shontavia was also interviewed recently on NPR. Tonya, who is heading to San Fran to present a Practising Law Institute session on blockchain and patents, is also in launch mode to release her podcast and book series, Tech Intersect™. She was also featured recently in an NBCLX segment about inclusion in blockchain, Finally, the ladies celebrate the LIT Podcast appearing on the #PointersTop5 list for IP, law, business and brand protection podcasts on International Podcast Day. This episode might feel like the JAY-Z ep because the hosts cover two Hova-related intellectual property topics. An Australian woman created The Little Homie, a company and series of products that appropriates hip hop lyrics for books like “AB to JAY-Z”. Tonya talks about JAY-Z’s recent repurchasing of ROCAWEAR trademark rights for 15 million that he licensed for $204 million over a decade ago. The hosts offer teachable moments about why knowing and protecting the value of your intellectual property is essential to the success of your brand and business, both domestically and abroad. Then Tonya talks about the “juice jacking” dangers with malware-compromised USB charging ports and how to protect data from malware with data theft blockers. Finally, the hosts encourage you to do an audit of your own intellectual property to create strategies for the content you are creating. Create. Monetize. Protect. Repeat. They also tee up the possibility of an “IP for Brands” class for entrepreneurs. Interested in interning for the LIT Podcast? hi@litbraintrust.com. Trouble seeing the full-length show notes? Visit us at http://www.LITBraintrust.com and follow us @LITBraintrust.

This week’s episode is all about the changing landscape of technology and how humans are feeling their way through this time in history. Facebook was struggling with “contextually specific and commonly sexual emojis or emoji strings,” so it just decided to ban them, including emojis like the eggplant, peach, and water drops. Professional athletes are looking for ways to increase their income streams, as many contracts do not include fully-guaranteed salaries. So, players like Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets are turning to blockchain technology to allow investors to invest in their contracts. And, nearly 200,000 people in the United States woke up in November confused by their receipt of delayed Valentine’s Day messages, thanks to a reactivated server operated by a company named Syniverse. This, coupled with some of our microphone issues, made us wonder if Mercury was still in retrograde (it was as of the time of our recording)! Trouble seeing the full-length show notes? Visit us at http://www.LITBraintrust.com and follow us @LITBraintrust.

Tonya’s on the road in Lima, Peru at the Asociación Interamericana de la Propiedad Intelectual (“ASIPI”) speaking about the intersections between blockchain and intellectual property. Shontavia just returned from the Fulbright Association Conference in Washington, D.C., where she gave a TED-style talk on using pop culture and memes to build international bridges. The co-hosts light into several LIT topics this week: the NCAA top governing board’s announcement that it will allow student-athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness; Representative Joyce Beatty’s laser-sharp questioning of Mark Zuckerberg over Facebook’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” troubles over her most famous song lyric, which came from a meme tweeted by @MinaLioness. Finally, during the LIT Level Up & Make Your Fire Work™ segment, Shontavia encourages people to go to conferences with a strategy for learning, networking, and being of service. Tonya talks about the importance of the breaks, meals, receptions, and hallways at conferences because of the value of impromptu conversations that happen organically in those spaces. Trouble seeing the full-length show notes? Visit us at http://www.LITBraintrust.com and follow us @LITBraintrust.

Tonya and Shontavia celebrate being back home after their worldwide whirlwind tours. Shontavia shares a recent appointment by her City Council to the city planning commission and reminds us that all politics are truly local. Tonya is still on IBM cloud nine after a successful presentation at the IBM Cloud and Innovation Forum. Both reflect on the importance of getting access to the rare air of professional spaces to which marginalized people do not often have access. Shontavia calls foul on Google’s “b move” to give $5 Starbucks cards to people of color experiencing homelessness in exchange for scans of their faces to improve facial recognition technology. Tonya shares stats about blockchain’s business value-add and key tips from her IBM Cloud and Innovation Forum presentation about smart contracts as well as legislative, regulatory and intellectual property issues, including some important open source software concerns. Shontavia drops a follow up to the hosts’ Facebook Libra trademark kerfuffle coverage. Finally, Shontavia encourages listeners to figure out where your voice could be important on a particular subject and to find a group and get involved. Tonya talks leadership and professional relationships. She says these relationships take time and they also take TWO! Trouble seeing the full-length show notes? Visit us at http://www.LITBraintrust.com and follow us @LITBraintrust.

Tonya and Shontavia are going into the last quarter of 2019 with lots of observations about law, innovation and tech, and they are racking up opportunities to take their observations on the road. Tonya is ready to hit three different US time zones to talk about blockchain, and she’s implementing Mel Robbins’ Five Second Rule to keep everything in perspective. On the blockchain front, Wells Fargo’s stablecoin cryptocurrency launch has Tonya LIT. She also talks about the world of upskilling and how listeners should upskill themselves to upgrade their professional lives in rapidly-changing industries. In Shontavia’s world, it’s already tomorrow because she’s in Sweden at an entrepreneurship conference. She’s still on the wave of operating within one’s life purpose and is especially excited about her recent opportunity to interview Ratan Tata, the popular Indian philanthropist, industrialist and investor. She also wants us to get real about purpose, though, and take the exciting with the exhausting. Shontavia’s LIT about the recent announcement that Whitney Houston’s hologram is going on tour and wondering if Whitney really wants to be working from the grave. Both co-hosts ponder the legal implications of hologram-work. Trouble seeing the full-length show notes? Visit us at http://www.LITBraintrust.com and follow us @LITBraintrust.

Shontavia and Tonya are on the road (AGAIN) and burning the midnight oil. Both are sleepy! In fact, Tonya almost missed the recording after “resting her eyes for a spell” like her Nana just before the recording light went green! But of course they still managed to deliver all the fire for this episode, as always. Shontavia talks about the most recent stop on her five-city national tour. Tonya’s attending the National Lesbians Who Tech Leadership Summit in the Big Apple. In What’s Got You Lit™, Shontavia talks about a fourth grader bullied over a homemade University of Tennessee Volunteers t-shirt that he wore during his school’s spirit day. She reminds listeners to have a strong IP strategy in place, especially when you find yourself “going viral”. Both hosts discuss how and where to begin. Shontavia also updates a S1E5 topic, 'The' Ohio State University trademark, to cover the current office action status of this trademark battle. Tonya returns to her crypto roots and shares that France says it will block Facebook’s Libra in Europe. Then she talks about a former Uber self-driving car executive charged with criminal theft of trade secrets from Google and breaks down trade secret basics and connects trade secret to an overall intellectual property strategy. In Make Your Fire Work™, Shontavia tells you to “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready” and Tonya encourages you to “find your tribe.” Trouble seeing the full-length show notes? Visit us at http://www.LITBraintrust.com and follow us @LITBraintrust.

In “What’s Good?”, Shontavia shares that her “ask and receive” energy has attracted an impressive list of upcoming speaking engagements and an acceptance letter from the Fulbright Association. Tonya makes the LOGOS Top 100 List of POC blockchain influencers and celebrates the publication of her latest law review article Cryptokitties, Cryptography and Copyright. In What’s Got You LIT™, Shontavia uses Philly-born rap artist Meek Mill’s recent release and tumultuous criminal justice experience to highlight the system’s chronic failures, particularly as it relates to black and brown populations. Tonya discusses trademark law basics and whether Ohio State University can register the word “THE” as a source-indicator of The Ohio State University. Delta Sigma Theta legacy, Shontavia, survives Alpha Kappa Alpha legacy, Tonya’s, “Skee wee” to demonstrate a registered sensory trademark. Both co-hosts agree that all the push back and confusion about Ohio State’s application is “much ado about nothing” (in Shontavia’s nod to Shakespeare, which neither co-host could remember while recording!). Finally, during the LIT Level Up & Make Your Fire Work™ segment, Shontavia asks you to write the vision for your life by answering four important questions and Tonya encourages you to help amplify the actions of at least three others who you see walking the walk. Trouble seeing the complete show notes? Visit us at LITBraintrust.com and follow us @LITBraintrust.

Shontavia and Tonya walk through the past two weeks of law, innovation and tech news after discussing what’s been good with them, which includes Shontavia’s participation in a new meme documentary and Tonya’s recent interview on the Daily Tech News Show Podcast. Shontavia isn't happy with the recent influx of hair discrimination events around the country, but she’s encouraged by new legislation in New York and California designed to combat it. Tonya is cautious about the SEC’s interest in blockchain nodes. Both cohosts are unimpressed with Senator Josh Hawley’s crusade against big tech with the [not-very] SMART Act bill, which would ban infinite scroll and automatically limit a user’s time on social media to 30 minutes a day. The LIT Podcast closes out with a request for listeners to VOTE UP the team’s SXSW 2020 panel proposals.

After deciding that FX’s Pose and Janet Jackson’s headlining residency in Las Vegas are “what’s good” this week, Shontavia and Tonya walk through what’s got them lit. Shontavia isn’t happy with Megan Thee Stallion’s trademark lawyer, who neglected to file a trademark application for the rapper’s viral phrase HOT GIRL SUMMER before some random guy in Washington, D.C. Shontavia also walks through the copyright history the Electric Slide and the dance’s recent adoption by Puerto Rican #RickyRenuncia protestors. Tonya breaks down the IRS’s 10,000 letters searching for crypto use and the implications for crypto investors. She also covers Facebook’s $5 billion fine for privacy violations, which she says isn’t large enough to punish Facebook for its activities.

After their "What's Good?" check in, Shontavia continues the cultural appropriation discussion from S1E1, as she compares and contrasts Kim Kardashian's Kimono debacle with questions about Rihanna's appearance on the cover of Harper's Bazaar China. Tonya continues her coverage of Facebook's Libra Coin as democratic members of the House Financial Services Committee, led by Chairwoman Maxine "Auntie Maxine" Waters, call on FB to halt Libra's development pending Congressional inquiry. The first hearing commences on July 17, 2019.

Tonya and Shontavia dive head first into S1E1 of the LIT™ Podcast. They talk Kim K's latest cultural misappropriation claims with Kimono and Facebook's LibraCoin launch.

Get to know your hosts: Tonya Evans & Shontavia Johnson, and what LIT is all about.