Latham & Watkins LLP

Sy Damle, former General Counsel at the US Copyright Office, litigates industry-defining matters at the intersection of copyright law and emerging technology.

Sy combines a deep understanding of the technology on which his clients have built their businesses and his robust federal government experience to represent technology and new media companies — including leading streaming services, software companies, and online commerce platforms — in:

• • High-stakes trials
  • Regulatory proceedings before federal agencies including the US Copyright Office and Copyright Royalty Board
  • Complex product counseling matters

A former software engineer, Sy deftly navigates high technology matters, including those involving computer systems and networks and artificial intelligence. Sy is regularly called upon by private industry and government agencies to advise on cutting-edge issues of law and technology. He has testified before Congress and the US Copyright Office on issues involving generative AI and copyright law.

Before joining the firm, Sy served as General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights at the US Copyright Office, where he oversaw the agency’s litigation, regulatory, and other legal work. Previously, he served as a US Department of Justice litigator, focused on IP, administrative law, and constitutional matters.

Sy teaches copyright law at George Washington University and is an adviser to the American Law Institute’s Restatement of Copyright Law project. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Children’s Museum and as Technology Chair for the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court.

He served as a clerk for Judge Sandra L. Lynch of the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.