Title: Program Manager, Intellectual Property Protection and Security
Division: Intellectual Property Protection and Security
Reports to: Senior Director, Intellectual Property Protection and Security
Experience: Mid-level (3+ years’ experience)
Position type: Full-time
Position Summary:
The Intellectual Property Protection and Security (IPPS) Program Manager manages aspects of the development, monitoring, and execution of ESA’s domestic and international IP protection and security efforts on behalf of ESA member companies. The Program Manager engages in extensive monitoring of video game infringement on various Internet protocols, participates in communications with law enforcement and other entities regarding infringing activities, and conducts detailed and complex investigations into methods and specific instances of infringement. Additionally, this role manages third party vendor solutions that provide enforcement services on behalf of ESA member companies.
This position actively contributes to the development and growth of ESA’s content protection and security activities. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, analyzing illegal games and related products, helping to develop and maintain databases that provide ESA and its members with information pertaining to infringement trends in our industry, generating reports using data from a variety of sources, and working with member companies to obtain information regarding their intellectual property. Conduct security assessments of third-party solutions across all of ESA’s departments.
Duties & Responsibilities include:
Online Monitoring, Investigation and Enforcement
- Perform extensive and complex online investigations of infringing activity and game security threats on the Internet
- Send takedown notices using online monitoring services
- Prepare and conduct presentations to ESA member company representatives and external stakeholders
- Perform quality control verification of online monitoring services conducted by vendors
- Vendor management of online enforcement vendors
- Perform administrator and maintenance duties for the IPPS online portal including implementing updates and curating relevant information for members
- Check compliance on sites and assist in sending follow-up notifications as necessary
- Conduct open-source investigations on priority targets
- Draft monthly online monitoring activity reports for members, including identification and mapping of trends, particularly in new monitoring protocols such as social media, private sites, mobile gaming, auction sites and P2P networks
- Analyze trends in existing data and notify the IPPS team of developments
- Prepare prompt and accurate responses to member inquiries about online monitoring and case updates
- Identify and track non-compliant and recidivist sites
- Track ISP response behavior, including timing and action patterns
- Conduct data mining and reporting of online monitoring database as necessary
Information Security Office
- Conduct security assessments of third-party solutions across all of ESA
- Facilitate an internal security awareness program within ESA
- Provide guidance on security related matters such as internal protocols and assistance with responding to incidents
- Support various activities related to ESA’s information security analysis center.
Law Enforcement and Litigation Support
- Assist in forensic analysis of evidence (seized game property, as well as data logs) for all law enforcement investigations, including title and publisher identification
- Assist in providing retail value estimates of evidence (seized game property) for all law enforcement investigations
- Assist in establishment and updating of case files
- Research, investigate and collect evidence with respect to online sites as candidates for enforcement efforts, including IP address, WHOIS research, operator identity, cataloguing of products, tracking logs, download times, take screen captures, investigating various social media sites
- Assist with update and maintenance of websites acquired through enforcement efforts
- Act as the liaison between law enforcement and member companies
Office Support and Miscellaneous
- Assist other ESA staff in other infringement-related projects
- Undertake any other tasks or assignments that ESA may delegate from time to time
Education and/or Experience Required
- A bachelor’s degree in information technology or related fields
- Up to three years of work experience, preferably involving extensive Internet research and investigations of online infringement
- An extensive knowledge of Internet protocols (HTTP, FTP, Usenet, Peer-to-Peer networks, etc.) and of intellectual property infringement
- Solid writing and analytical skills
- A strong background and interest in computer and Internet technology, video game hardware technology and computer and video game software
Skills & Abilities
- Completed security trainings from accredited companies as it relates to security awareness initiatives and open-source intelligence
- Proficiency in using common computer applications including Microsoft Office
- Basic technical acumen in one or more of the following areas: Visual Basic (for the creation of Macros), web development (html), knowledge /basic hands on experience in C, C++ or Java
- A solid work ethic and the proven ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced and demanding work environment, both independently and as a member of a team
- The versatility to handle and complete different assignments simultaneously
- Conversational ability in a second language including Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean or Chinese is preferred
