Intellectual Property Specialist - USDS

Responsibilities
As a member of Trust and Safety - Safety Regulatory Compliance Operations (SRCO) Pillar, you will be integral in ensuring that TikTok is a safe and trustworthy place for our community. SRCO's mission is to safeguard users, protect rights, and uphold the law by executing critical compliance obligations with speed, accuracy, and integrity for the US market. Within and across each vertical, we work together to develop efficient workflows that mitigate legal risk in Child Safety, Emergency Response, Law Enforcement Response, Legal Response, Privacy and Intellectual Property.

On the Intellectual Property team, you will be responsible for analyzing and addressing time-sensitive IP requests related to trademark, copyright, and identity. We receive requests from external and internal parties requesting IP account review - looking for accounts that violate our policies. You will be responsible for enforcing, documenting, and finding gaps and trends to help the team shape policies and processes related to IP.

Our SRCO teams perform a critical function that supports our efforts to address objectionable or disturbing content. Content that the Intellectual Property team interacts with can includes images, video, and text related to every-day life, but it can also include (but is not limited to) bullying; hate speech; child abuse; sexual assault; torture; bestiality; self-harm; suicide; and murder.

It is possible that this role will be exposed to harmful content on a daily basis.

In order to enhance collaboration and cross-functional partnerships, among other things, at this time, our organization follows a hybrid work schedule that requires employees to work in the office 3 days a week, or as directed by their manager/department. We regularly review our hybrid work model, and the specific requirements may change at any time.

This position will be based in Washington D.C. and will entail a Tuesday through Saturday, or Sunday through Thursday work week.

Responsibilities
- Review and respond to designated volume of DMCA and Trademark removal requests and inquiries efficiently and accurately.
- Be responsible for tracking DMCA and Trademark requests and continually reducing handling time
- Handle internal and external copyright related escalations and IP removals in an efficient manner
- Collaborate with various stakeholders on IPI operation projects, including Global IP Ops and other teams
- Identify areas to improve TikTok's Intellectual Property practices and policies.
- Stay current on intellectual property regulations and law.
- Communicate and escalate IPI questions and concerns to leadership or counsel as needed.
- Create template language related to IPI questions both internally and externally.
- Work alongside our US Safety team on other trust and safety issues.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with a variety of global stakeholders
- Open to work occasionally outside of standard working hours based on coverage needs

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent practical experience, and 1+ years of experience working in intellectual property operations or trust and safety.
- Experience with high volume legal document intake and processing.
- Strong attention to detail, highly self-driven and results oriented.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, diplomacy and the ability to work cross-functionally
- Flexible and can adjust accordingly to ensure team efficiency and deliverables are met.
- Ability to work in differing work rotations/shifts (including nights, public holidays and weekends). Shifts may be subject to change based on business needs.

Preferred Qualifications
- Familiar with DMCA and Trademark law and requests, as well as fair use.
- Experience working with international partners in different time zones.
- Experience in law or policy within the Internet industry.
- Your ability to work in a high tempo environment, adapt, respond to day-to-day challenges of the role.
- Your resilience and commitment to self-care to manage the emotional demands of the role.

About USDS
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. U.S. Data Security (“USDS”) is a subsidiary of TikTok in the U.S. This new, security-first division was created to bring heightened focus and governance to our data protection policies and content assurance protocols to keep U.S. users safe. Our focus is on providing oversight and protection of the TikTok platform and U.S. user data, so millions of Americans can continue turning to TikTok to learn something new, earn a living, express themselves creatively, or be entertained. The teams within USDS that deliver on this commitment daily span across Trust & Safety, Security & Privacy, Engineering, User & Product Ops, Corporate Functions and more.

Data Security Statement
This role requires the ability to work with and support systems designed to protect sensitive data and information. As such, this role will be subject to strict national security-related screening.


Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.


Trust & Safety
TikTok recognises that keeping our platform safe for the TikTok communities is no ordinary job which can be both rewarding and psychologically demanding and emotionally taxing for some. This is why we are sharing the potential hazards, risks and implications in this unique line of work from the start, so our candidates are well informed before joining.
We are committed to the wellbeing of all our employees and promise to provide comprehensive and evidence-based programs, to promote and support physical and mental wellbeing throughout each employee's journey with us. We believe that wellbeing is a relationship and that everyone has a part to play, so we work in collaboration and consultation with our employees and across our functions in order to ensure a truly person-centred, innovative and integrated approach.


USDS Reasonable Accommodation
USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA


Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】 Compensation Description (Annually) - Washington, DC
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is 64000 - 96000 annually.
Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.