EDC and Washington Lawyers for the Arts to host free workshop: Protecting Artists in the Modern World

Published 1:30 am Sunday, April 5, 2026

Submitted by the Economic Development Council.

The EDC will host a free online workshop led by Taylor Fairchild from Washington Lawyers for the Arts to help artists of all mediums better understand and protect intellectual property, including how to protect against AI use of IP. The session, Protecting Artists in the Modern World, will be at the Orcas Library on Wednesday, April 22, from 10-11:30 a.m. Virtual participation will also be available.

With current technology, it’s easy for almost anyone to steal art available online. Images are posted without artist credit, pirate libraries circulate the internet and AI platforms train on visual and written material without permission. This informative workshop, led by Fairchild of Christensen O’Connor Johnson Kindness PLLC, will share ways to protect artists’ intellectual property.

Fairchild is an intellectual property attorney at COJK and the treasurer of Washington Lawyers for the Arts. Fairchild assists creators in obtaining patents, trademarks and copyrights, as well as in filing and defending against infringement in court, mediation and arbitration. In her free time, Fairchild is a musician and fiber artist.

This workshop is free and requires pre-registration at https://sanjuansedc.org/bizlabs.

For more information, contact the EDC at 360-378-2906 or info@sanjuansedc.org.

The EDC thanks the Washington State Microenterprise Association for its statewide grant catalyzing these workshops. The EDC also thanks the funding partners for their support of this and other EDC programs: San Juan County, the Town of Friday Harbor, the Washington State Department of Commerce, the ports of Friday Harbor and Lopez, the Orcas Island and San Juan Island community foundations, and individual and foundation donors.