Join intellectual property attorney Emily Harris of the Davis Brown Law Firm on Feb. 15 as she discusses new legislative acts — one passed and two pending — that could make life more difficult for the small start-up.

Harris will talk about the Leahy-Smith American Invention Act, which was signed into law Sept. 16, 2011, and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), which are heavily supported by the movie and music industries as a means of reducing piracy, but are opposed by almost all major Internet companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter.

The event will take place at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, 700 Locust St., at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $15 and includes lunch. To register or for more information, contact the Business Innovation Zone at events@bizci.com. Cancellations should be made at least 24 hours before the event.