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http://www.kilstock.com/publications/videos.aspx
Kilpatrick Stockton offers over 20 programs online — some video, mostly audio.
They stream using two formats, Windows audio (.wma) and Windows video (.wmv), and
have a large collection of talks in the MP3 format (download required). Content
includes TV appearances by the firm’s attorneys, seminars, and substantial
lectures with CLE credit.
William Brewster, managing partner, provided this comment: “We viewed an
online video vault as an innovative and useful tool to put in the hands of our clients
— giving them on-demand, ready access to attorney presentations and other legal
educational tools.”
One gem sparkles: “Managing Partner Bill Brewster speaks about the firm's
vision” (about 2 minutes, broadband required and Windows Media Player) is an
excellent example of how effective full-color, full-motion video can be. Described as
“Bill Brewster on Client Service, Teamwork, Diversity, and Innovation,” this
short, stylish interview conveys an intimate moment one-on-one with the firm’s
leader.
This type of video — be it a ‘Meet the Firm’,
‘Chairman’s Welcome’, ‘Managing Partner’s
Report’, or client letter — provides a credible business development tool.
Webcasters say the
opportunity to ‘pre-sell’ clients by expressing character and expertise adds
potency to their other marketing efforts.
In addition to the streaming video available here, you may listen to a series of audio
programs on intellectual property topics. Partner James Meyers, patent law attorney and
head of the firm’s Washington, D.C., IP litigation practice, serves as host of
regular seminars taped from “Intellectual Property Master Class”
conference calls. These topics are available (some in MP3 format, others in Windows
audio format):
- Recent Developments in Trademark Litigation (6-10-03)
- Automated Patent Analysis: Examples of Practical Applications (5-13-03)
- Expedited Patent Litigation (4-8-03)
- The Licensing Imperative (3-11-03)
- Recent Developments in Patent Law (2-11-03)
- Role of the Solicitor's Office at the USPTO (1-14-03)
- Precision Patenting: Extracting Maximum Impact from Minimum Input (11-12-02)
- Building a Prolific and Profound Patent Portfolio (10-8-02)
- IP Due Diligence in Business Transactions (9-10-02)
- After the Wind Done Gone: Copyright Fair Use (8-13-02)
- Recent Developments in Trademark Litigation (7-9-02)
- Detecting Quality IP to Protect Present and Future Value: Beyond Boolean (6-11-02)
- IP Assets and the Future of Business (5-14-02)
- Patent "Brands" (4-9-02)
- Tax Implications of Intellectual Asset Management (3-12-02)
- Ethical and Efficient Collection of IP Competitive Intelligence (2-12-02)
MP3 V. STREAMING
You may have figured out by now that they call it “streaming video”
because it doesn’t need to be downloaded before it plays (avoiding delay as well
as copyright issues). Simply click on a link and, after a minute or so of handshaking,
video (or audio) starts to play on your computer screen.
This advantage of streaming — immediacy — highlights a significant
disadvantage of using MP3. Though the MP3 format is flexible (it may be played with
almost any media player, including RealPlayer and Windows Media Player), it must be
downloaded first. This means delay (about 20 minutes at 56K for the shortest
presentations).
The counterbalancing advantage of MP3 is that it requires no special server (you may
simply post it on your web site host). Streaming with RealPlayer or Windows Media
Player requires a server running appropriate “streaming server” software. It
boils down to cost vs. convenience. MP3 offers lower costs and a wider potential
audience — if they will put up with the time to download.
FEATS AND FLAWS
The firm’s web site offers the best search feature I’ve seen. When perusing
an attorney’s bio, one may click to see “Audio and Video featuring this
Attorney” (as well as “Expanded Bio” or “Articles by this
Attorney”).
I also complement the firm for including the date of the presentation, size of the file,
and names of the participants for each program; however, it would be nice to know how
long each presentation runs.
Also on the minus side, the mix of formats — some in streaming video (.wmv),
some in streaming audio (.wma), and some MP3 — will lead to surprises for some
potential viewers; it’s inconvenient to click on a link expecting immediate
streaming video, only to realize you’ve just started a 20-minute download. Better
labeling might help.
WEB STRATEGY
In terms of the firm’s web strategy, they found that many law firm web sites
“didn’t include any video content, so this represented a differentiator for
the firm,” according to a spokesman. The audio and video programs allow their
web site to deliver “more of an ‘experience’” to higher tech
visitors.
THE FUTURE
Likely on the horizon is “a regularly scheduled video update from our managing
partner ... [and possibly] streaming video using client testimonials, ... more live
webcasts.”
Too many webcasts, not enough time.
If you see streaming audio or video you
think would be of interest to our readers, please
URL and description.
Has your firm produced a webcast? We want the details!
If you'd like a clickable list of the web addresses from this and past columns,
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