George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

Panel 5A: Generative AI & Human Authorship (C-IP2 2023 Annual Fall Conference)

The following post comes from Jake L. Bryant, a student in the Intellectual Property Law LL.M. program at Scalia Law and a Research Assistant at C-IP2.

silver copyright symbolOn October 12th and 13th, the Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy (C-IP2) hosted its 2023 Annual Fall Conference, this year titled First Sale: The Role of IP Rights in Markets. Read more

For You and Me or Private Property?: Evaluating the Copyright Claim in Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land”

By Jason Lee Guthrie

For the Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy blog, in fulfillment of obligations for the Thomas Edison Innovation Law and Policy Fellowship

In early 1940, Woody Guthrie was on the road to New York City, and he was tired. Read more

Trump Interview Lawsuit Exposes Uncertainty in a Corner of Copyright Law

Will Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Bob Woodward and publisher Simon & Schuster[1] finally resolve the question of who owns the copyright over interviews? While the complaint has other challenges, it calls out a surprisingly muddled and unresolved area of copyright law. Read more

Publishers prevail in lawsuit against Internet Archive

a gavel lying on a table in front of books on a shelfOn Friday the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) ruled in favor of Hachette and other major book publishers, and against Internet Archive (IA) in a lawsuit considering IA’s Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) program, under which IA scanned books and “loaned” digital copies of copyrighted works over the internet.   Read more

C-IP2 2022 Fall Conference Panel Discusses Copyright Under Pressure

The following post comes from Cala Coffman, a 2L at Scalia Law and Research Assistant at C-IP2.

At the recent C-IP2 conference entitled IP on the Wane: IP on the Wane: Examining the Impacts as IP Rights Are Reduced, one panel discussed the current state of copyright law, the pressures it has come under in recent years, and their differing perspectives on how the digital world is shaping copyright. Read more

C-IP2 Statement Commemorating Marybeth Peters

C-IP2 is saddened by the death of former Register of Copyrights Marybeth Peters — an accomplished and inspiring copyright lawyer who led the U.S. Copyright Office from 1994-2010. Register Peters began her love affair with copyright on Valentines Day of 1966 with her appointment as a music examiner in the former Music Section of the Examining Division. Read more

Paradise Rejected: A Conversation about AI and Authorship with Dr. Ryan Abbott

This post comes from Sandra Aistars, Clinical Professor and Director of the Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Clinic at George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School, and Senior Fellow for Copyright Research and Policy & Senior Scholar at C-IP2.

On March 17, 2022, I had the pleasure to discuss Artificial Intelligence and Authorship with Dr. Read more

Recap of the Supreme Court’s Unicolors, Inc. v. H&M Hennes & Mauritz, L.P.

The following post comes from Sabren H. Wahdan, a 3L at Scalia Law and a Research Assistant at C-IP2.

the word "copyright" typed on a typewriterIn one of his final majority opinions before announcing his retirement, Justice Steven Breyer penned a nuanced ruling that carefully threads the policy needle on copyright registration issues. Read more

Just What Is the Case with the CASE Act? A Brief Overview

The following post comes from Ryan Reynolds, a 3L at Scalia Law and Research Assistant at CPIP.

chrome copyright symbolBy Ryan Reynolds

The phrase “creators have rights, but no remedies” is likely familiar to those aware of the current landscape of copyright protection for individual creators and small businesses (“Creators”). Read more