George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

From Great Ideas to Global Impact – A Talk with Andrew Byrnes

The following post comes from Tuan Tran, a rising 3L at Scalia Law and a Research Assistant at C-IP2.

2022 Andrew Byrnes event flyer
Click on image for full-size PDF flyer.

Small ideas can lead to big changes, which in turn can make a significant impact on the world, but—as technology executive, attorney, and investor Andrew Byrnes knows well—this is no easy task. Read more

A View from Both Sides: COVID-19, the TRIPS Waiver, IP Rights, and How to Increase the Supply of Vaccines

scientist looking through a microscopeIssue

The United States and other wealthy nations have access to plenty of COVID-19 vaccine doses and thus are beginning to get the pandemic under control, while less affluent countries do not have access to adequate doses and are still struggling with rising cases. Read more

USPTO-DOJ Workshop on Promoting Innovation in the Life Science Sector: Day One Recap

The following post comes from Colin Kreutzer, a 2E at Scalia Law and a Research Assistant at CPIP.

night view of Washington, D.C.By Colin Kreutzer

This past fall, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) hosted a joint workshop with the Department of Justice (DOJ) entitled Promoting Innovation in the Life Sciences Sector and Supporting Pro-Competitive Collaborations: The Role of Intellectual Property. Read more

Sean O’Connor’s Historical Take on Different Types of Intellectual Property

The following post comes from Professor Camilla Hrdy of Akron Law. It originally appeared on Written Description, and it is reposted here with permission.

a pair of glasses, an apple, and a stack of booksBy Camilla Hrdy

I truly enjoyed Sean O’Connor’s new paper, forthcoming in the George Mason Law Review, called “Distinguishing Different Kinds of Property in Patents and Copyrights.” Read more

“No Combination Drug Patents Act” Stalls, but Threats to Innovation Remain

superimposed images from a chemistry labBy Kevin Madigan & Sean O’Connor

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee was to mark up a bill limiting patent eligibility for combination drug patents—new forms, uses, and administrations of FDA approved medicines. While the impetus was to curb so-called “evergreening” of drug patents, the effect would have been to stifle life-saving therapeutic innovations. Read more

CPIP and ITIF Release Innovate4Health Report on Role of IP in Solving Global Health Challenges

Innovate4HealthThis past Tuesday, CPIP and the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released our joint report: Innovate4Health: How Innovators Are Solving Global Health Challenges. The report details 25 important healthcare innovations that are being created by and for people in the developing world, where some of the most urgent challenges remain.  Read more

Innovate4Health: Treating Neonatal Jaundice in the Developing World with D-Rev’s Brilliance

This post is one of a series in the #Innovate4Health policy research initiative.

Innovate4HealthBy Nick Churchill

Severe neonatal jaundice kills over 100,000 newborn babies annually and causes severe brain damage to thousands more. In most cases, the condition can be treated by simply shining a blue light on a baby’s skin.  Read more

Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) Unites to Fight Online Piracy

hand holding remote pointed towards a TV screen showing a sports gameAs digital piracy shifts away from torrent downloads and towards unauthorized streaming and theft-based extortion, stakeholders from all parts of the creativity community are reassessing their efforts to fight online infringement. This week, a global coalition of creators and leading on-demand entertainment services joined forces to better address the ever-evolving threat that piracy poses not only to artists and copyright owners, but to consumers and end users. Read more

From Star Wars to La La Land: How Intellectual Property Fuels Films

The following post comes from Mandi Hart, a rising third-year law student at Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, who worked as a video producer before going to law school.

cameraBy Mandi Hart

Movies are a first-love in America and around the world, and their production is made possible by the existence of intellectual property (IP) rights. Read more

In Defense of an Inclusive IP Conversation

hand under a lightbulb drawn on a chalkboardIn a recent essay responding to a divisive critique of his book, Justifying Intellectual Property, Robert Merges makes clear from the start that he won’t be pulling any punches. He explains that the purpose of his essay, Against Utilitarian Fundamentalism, is to address the misleading and polarizing conclusions of Mark Lemley’s 2015 article, Faith-Based Intellectual Property, recapitulate the arguments he makes in Justifying IP, and show that those who approach intellectual property theory through a nonstrict empirical lens can still make meaningful contributions to the debate. Read more