IPPI Summer 2025 Progress Report (March-May 2025)

IPPI Spring 2025 Progress Report

(March – May 2025)

Navigation

Greetings from IPPI Research Professor & Executive Director Joshua Kresh

We are pleased to present our first comprehensive progress report since IPPI’s launch at The University of Akron on March 1st.

Team Transition and Growth: Our transition from George Mason University has been highly successful. The vast majority of our Scholars, Fellows, and Board Members have joined us in the move, and we have already brought on several new affiliates. Additionally, our Edison Fellows who had been accepted under C-IP²’s Fellowship accepted our invitation to continue their work with IPPI at Akron, ensuring continuity in our training program. Our inaugural Edison Fellowship meeting established strong foundations for the collaborative scholarship and policy work ahead.

Key Activities and Engagement: We convened a private roundtable bringing together academic researchers and industry representatives to address critical intellectual property policy questions and identify research priorities. We also completed our WIPO Summer School program (detailed in our next report) and maintained active engagement in policy discussions, including submitting formal comments on proposed pharmaceutical tariffs. Senior Fellow for China IP Mark A. Cohen provided testimony before the U.S. Senate, demonstrating our commitment to informing policy at the highest levels.

Looking Forward: Our publication pipeline includes several short-form policy pieces and longer academic articles from recent Edison Fellows scheduled for release over the coming months. As for events, we will host another private roundtable in August, with additional roundtables planned for fall 2025 and winter 2026. Our inaugural annual IP conference is scheduled for February 2026 in Orlando, Florida (more details to come soon).

We welcome engagement from stakeholders interested in participating in our events or contributing to our academic and policy initiatives. Please contact me at jkresh@uakron.edu to discuss collaboration opportunities.

Best regards,

Joshua Kresh
Research Professor & Executive Director
IPPI: The IP Policy Institute
The University of Akron School of Law
Washington, D.C.

IPPI Hosted & Co-Hosted Events

These are events either hosted or co-hosted by the members of the IPPI team and our affiliates from March through May 2025.

2025-2026 Thomas Edison Innovation Fellowship: First Meeting (Virtual)
On April 10-11, IPPI hosted the first meeting of the 2025-2026 Thomas Edison Innovation Law and Policy Fellowship. Meeting One was for the purpose of the Edison Fellows presenting their research proposals. Edison Fellows submitted brief synopses detailing their proposed theses and research, and Distinguished Commentators and other Edison Fellows commented on the research proposals.

2025-2026 Edison Fellows
- Srinivasan Ananthraman, Senior IP Manager, Ashland Inc.
- Matt (Mateusz) Blaszczyk, Research Fellow in Law and Mobility & Managing Editor, Journal of Law and Mobility, University of Michigan Law School
- Zachary Henderson, Visiting Assistant Professor and Shashi and Dipanjan “DJ” Deb Faculty Scholar, UC Law San Francisco
- Allison Schmitt, Fellow and Director, BCLT Life Sciences Law & Policy Center, UC Berkeley School of Law
- Andrew Vassallo, Associate Professor, Shippensburg University
- Bhamati Viswanathan, Scholar, IPPI; Assistant Professor, New England Law | Boston
2025-2026 Distinguished Commentators
- Professor John Duffy, Senior Scholar, IPPI; Samuel H. McCoy II Professor of Law, Class of 1966 Research Professor of Law, & Director, Center on Intellectual Property Law, University of Virginia School of Law
- Professor Erika Lietzan, Senior Scholar, IPPI; Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, William H. Pittman Professor of Law, & Timothy J. Heinsz Professor of Law, University of Missouri School of Law
- Professor Michael Risch, Senior Scholar, IPPI; Professor of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
- Professor Mark Schultz, Faculty Chair, Senior Fellow for Copyright and the Creative Industries, & Senior Scholar, IPPI; Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Chair in Intellectual Property Law & Director, Intellectual Property and Technology Law Program, The University of Akron School of Law

Hybrid Roundtable/Policy Networking Session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration”
On May 21, this invitation-only, off-the-record gathering convened our community both online and at the offices of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) in Washington, D.C. to share views and information about important policy issues and to consider areas of near-term academic and policy research.

News & Speaking Engagements

These are news and speaking engagements for the members of the IPPI team and our affiliates from March through May 2025.

Amicus Briefs

In April, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), one of IPPI’s valued sustaining donors, filed a brief in Richard Kadrey, et al., v. Meta Platforms, Inc. “in support of the plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment and opposition to defendant’s motion for partial summary judgement. Read the text of the brief.
An Amicus Brief of Copyright Law Professors (U.S. April 2025) in Richard Kadrey, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (United States District Court for the Northern District of California San Francisco Division) was signed by IPPI Senior Scholars and Professors Jonathan M. Barnett, Jon M. Garon, and Christopher M. Newman and IPPI Scholars and Professors Zvi Rosen and Bhamati Viswanathan, among others. (Additional links: TechCrunch | Brief, Bloomberg Law Court Dockets)

Comments & Testimony

On May 7, IPPI submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding its Section 232 investigation of pharmaceutical imports, cautioning against imposing tariffs on medicines and their ingredients. In our submission, IPPI scholars Mark Schultz, Emily Michiko Morris, and Joshua Kresh explain that imposing such tariffs would have severe negative consequences for American patients, healthcare affordability, and U.S. pharmaceutical innovation leadership. (Read more on IPPI’s blog)
On May 14, IPPI Senior Fellow for China IP & Scholar Mark A. Cohen and IPPI Advisory Board Member Karyn A. Temple (Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel, Motion Picture Association) testified before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property during the hearing on “Foreign Threats to American Innovation and Economic Leadership.” (Recording of the hearing | Mr. Cohen’s written testimony | Ms. Temple’s written testimony)

Welcome to New Affiliates

Professor Sean Pager, Professor of Law and Associate Director, Intellectual Property, Information & Communications Law Program (IPIC) at Michigan State University College of Law, joined IPPI as a Senior Scholar this May. Learn more about Sean Pager and his work | Says Professor Pager, “I am excited to join IPPI. My research on ‘digital democratization’ in creative content industries fits well with IPPI’s mission of exploring how intellectual property affects creative economies through evidence-based engagement.”
Jennifer Brant, CEO & Founder of Innovation Insights Sarl, joined IPPI as a Practitioner in Residence this May. Learn more about Jennifer Brant and her work | Says Ms. Brant, “I’m thrilled to formalize my partnership with IPPI. The Institute’s work linking academic research with cutting-edge industry insights to inform policymakers is exactly what we’ve championed at Innovation Insights for over a decade. I’m especially keen to continue our collaboration to expand access to patent systems, improve local manufacturing capacity, and advance policies that stimulate innovation in critical sectors like health and cellular technology, while supporting long-term growth.”

Biorasi Podcast Interview
IPPI’s Mark Schultz, Emily Michiko Morris, and Joshua Kresh were interviewed by host Chris O’Brien for the April 23 Episode 52 of Biorasi’s Few and Far Between Podcast on IP considerations for biopharmaceutical companies.

* * *

Dr. Srinivasan Ananthraman (2025-2026 IPPI Edison Fellow; Senior IP Manager, Ashland Inc.)

Participated as an Edison Fellow and presenter for the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship

Dr. Kristina M. L. Acri, née Lybecker (IPPI Senior Scholar; John L. Knight Chair of Economics and Professor of Economics, Colorado College)

In late March, “was delighted and honored to have participated in the important convening at the The Banbury Center on ‘Government Challenges to U.S. Patent Rights’ for thoughtful and stimulating discussion.”
In March, completed a Special Volume book chapter entitled “The Financing of the Market for Biopharmaceutical Innovation” for the volume The pharmaceutical market: how can international trade and health be reconciled? / Le marché pharmaceutique: quelles voies pour une dialectique commerce international et santé? Publication by Mare et Martin is expected in 2025.
With Professor Emily Michiko Morris, secured a grant from C4IP to work on a research project entitled “Empirical Analyses of Alleged Pharmaceutical Patent Thickets”
On May 21, participated virtually in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Jonathan Barnett (IPPI Senior Scholar; Torrey H. Webb Professor of Law, USC Gould School of Law)

Was interviewed for April 10 podcast episode of Understanding IP Matters, hosted by Bruce Berman of The Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU)
Signed Amicus Brief of Copyright Law Professors (U.S. April 2025) in Richard Kadrey, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (United States District Court for the Northern District of California San Francisco Division)
On April 24, spoke on the panel “AI’s emerging role in innovation, creative expression and IP rights” at The 2025 IP Awareness Summit® (IPAS) on AI, Innovation and Ownership: Building a Bridge to the Future, co-hosted by Dolby and CIPU in San Francisco, California
On May 21, participated virtually in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Matt (Mateusz) Blaszczyk (2025-2026 IPPI Edison Fellow; Research Fellow in Law and Mobility & Managing Editor, Journal of Law and Mobility, University of Michigan Law School)

Participated as an Edison Fellow and presenter for the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship
Presented on the “Impossibility of Artificial Inventors” at the University of San Diego School of Law Patent Law Conference, PatCon 13, held April 10-12
Moderated a panel at the 11th Annual Junior Scholars Conference, held at the University of Michigan Law School from April 25-26
Presented at the May 28-29 Richmond Junior Faculty Forum, held at the University of Richmond School of Law

Jennifer Brant (IPPI Practitioner in Residence; CEO & Founder, Innovation Insights)

In May 2025, joined IPPI as a Practitioner in Residence
On May 21, participated virtually in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Terrica Carrington (IPPI Practitioner in Residence; Senior Counsel & Director, Law, Policy & International, Motion Picture Association)

In March, was promoted to Vice President, Law Policy & International with the Motion Picture Association. Congratulations from the whole IPPI team!
On May 21, participated in person in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Eric Claeys (IPPI Senior Fellow for Scholarly Initiatives & Senior Scholar; Professor of Law, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School)

Organized and participated in the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship

Mark Cohen (IPPI Senior Fellow for China IP & Scholar)

On March 25, served as a panelist for the webinar “Key Global IPR Challenges Facing the New Administration,” hosted by USC Gould School of Law
On March 27, spoke virtually on the panel “Medicine and Pharmacy in the Service of Health in a Global Perspective” as part of the Medicine, Law & Society’s 34^th International Conference on Medicine and Pharmacy in the Service of Health, which was hosted by the University of Maribor in Slovenia
Was quoted in April 1 IAM article “China reinforces regulatory toolkit with new rules on foreign IP disputes” (subscription required)
On April 21, spoke with Gary Rieschel (Board Chair, Asia Society Northern California & Seattle; Founding Managing Partner, Qiming) for the hybrid Asia Society Seattle roundtable “What the First Ninety Days Reveal About the Future of U.S.-China Relations”
On April 24, spoke on the panel “The shifting IP business landscape: the U.S., Europe and Asia” at The 2025 IP Awareness Summit® (IPAS) on AI, Innovation and Ownership: Building a Bridge to the Future, co-hosted by Dolby and The Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU) in San Francisco, California
On May 14, spoke on the Hudson Institute panel “Patents and China: What Is the Right Policy for the America First Agenda?”
On May 14, testified before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property for the hearing on “Foreign Threats to American Innovation and Economic Leadership” (Recording of the hearing | Written testimony)
On May 21, spoke on the LES webinar “Licensing Between the U.S. and China – Navigating the Shoals”
On May 21, participated virtually in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Michael Doane (IPPI Scholar; Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, The University of Akron School of Law; 2024-2025 IPPI Edison Fellow)

On March 24, spoke on the panels “Design Protection Power Play Building an IP Portfolio That Lasts” and “E-Commerce Battlegrounds: Inside the Black Box of Platform IP Enforcement” at the 27^th Annual Symposium on Intellectual Property Law and Policy, hosted by The University of Akron’s Center for Intellectual Property Law & Technology at Akron Law, Akron, Ohio
Professor Doane’s 2024-2025 Edison Fellowship paper, Patent Law’s Trade Remedy, was published in the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law, Volume 28 in May

John F. Duffy (IPPI Senior Scholar; Samuel H. McCoy II Professor of Law, Class of 1966 Research Professor of Law, & Director, Center on Intellectual Property Law, University of Virginia School of Law)

Participated as a Distinguished Commentator in the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship

Gillian Fenton, Esq., CLP (IPPI Practitioner in Residence; Founder and Managing Director, LST Strategies LLC)

In March, attended the AUTM annual meeting, at which Ms. Fenton instructed in the LES Certified Licensing Professionals exam preparation course (in person)
In March, co-taught a one-and-a-half-day custom LES course on biopharmaceutical licensing best practices for a multinational pharma company (in person)
In March, taught Module 1 (Intellectual Property Basics) of the LES IP Licensing Basics course (virtual)
In March, taught Domains 2 and 3 of the LES Certified Licensing Professionals exam preparation course (virtual)
In March, attended a CLP webinar on “Monetizing University Intellectual Property”
In March, attended a CSIS webinar presenting the Center’s Transition Report on IP to the Trump Administration
On April 1, attended the annual CSIS LeadershIP 2025 conference
Over the course of April and May, co-taught two different custom LES professional education courses to the business and corporate development teams of two multinational pharmaceutical companies, and co-taught the LES professional education course on Industry, Universities and Government Licensing

Jon M. Garon (IPPI Senior Scholar; Professor of Law and Director of the Intellectual Property, Cybersecurity, and Technology Law program, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law)

Signed Amicus Brief of Copyright Law Professors (U.S. April 2025) in Richard Kadrey, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (United States District Court for the Northern District of California San Francisco Division)
Served as a panelist for “Navigating the Shift: How State Legislative Trends Affect Corporations and Business Lawyers,” moderated the panel “The New Administration’s Strategy on AI, Cyber, and FinTech Policy,” and spoke on the panel “Professional Responsibility Rules as a Cybersecurity Framework, Ethical Traps for Counsel and Clients in Data Security” at the ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 24-26
Was interviewed with fellow lawyer and AI/cybersecurity expert Candace Jones for May 5 episode “Mind the Gap: Episode 19: The Intersection of Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence” of the ABA podcast To the Extent That…” (Listen on Apple Podcasts | Learn more about the episode on ABA’s website)

Michael Goodyear (IPPI Scholar; Acting Assistant Professor, New York University School of Law; Fellow, NYU Law’s Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy)

Congratulations to Professor Goodyear, who will be starting a new role as an Associate Professor at New York Law School in July! He completed his service as an Acting Assistant Professor at the New York University at the end of May.
On March 18, presented on a panel on Pride Overcoming Prejudice: Charting LGBTQ+ Paths in IP at the I <3 Trademarks Conference in New York, NY
On March 21, presented paper “Dignity and Deepfakes” and the virtual Law and Technology Workshop
In March, article “Artificial Infringement (Short)” was published as an archived paper in the Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Computer Science and Law (CSLaw ’25)
On March 26, presented paper “Artificial Infringement” at the 4th ACM Symposium on Computer Science and Law in Munich, Germany
On April 1, gave a presentation on “Disentangling Indigenous Authenticity” at the NYU Lawyering Scholarship Colloquium
On April 7, spoke on the panel “Sounds Like Trouble: AI, Music, and the Limits of Copyright” at the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal Annual Symposium
On April 10, gave a presentation on the roundtable paper Dignity and Deepfakes at the Fourth Annual Legal Scholars Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence at Emory University School of Law
On April 24, gave a presentation entitled “Update on Trademark and Free Speech in the US” on contextualizing Elster within the First Amendment at the Thirty-Second Annual Intellectual Property Law & Policy Conference at Fordham Law School
On April 26, presented Dignity and Deepfakes and commented on Belle Torek‘s Objects in VR Are Closer Than They Appear: Speech, Harm, and Immersive Abuse in Virtual and Mixed Reality at the Freedom of Expression Scholars Conference 13 (2025) at Yale Law School
On May 29, spoke on the panel “Navigating the Complex Landscape of IP” at the Fifth Annual Machine Lawyering Conference at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and received an Honorable Mention for the Best Paper Award

Zachary Henderson (2025-2026 IPPI Edison Fellow; Visiting Assistant Professor and Shashi and Dipanjan “DJ” Deb Faculty Scholar, UC Law San Francisco)

Participated as an Edison Fellow and presenter for the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship
Gave an April 17 video interview to ABC7 News and an April 23 radio interview to KCBS Radio reporter Cathy Whitman on AI and jobs
In March, presented work-in-progress article Laboratories of Mediocrity [WT] at the Junior Scholars’ Conference at Northeastern University

Steven D. Jamar (IPPI Senior Scholar; Associate Director, Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice (IIPSJ); Professor Emeritus, Howard University School of Law)

With Professor Lateef Mtima, submitted a book chapter for an anthology being edited by Johanna Gibson, Research Handbook on IP and Social Justice (Johanna Gibson, ed. Oxford University Press 2026) (forthcoming, first quarter of 2026). Their co-authored chapter is entitled “Placing Intellectual Property Social Justice within the International Human Rights Context,” while Professor Jamar has also submitted a second chapter to the same anthology entitled “Challenges to Intellectual Property Regimes Presented by Generative Artificial Intelligence Programs.”

Joshua Kresh (Research Professor & Executive Director, IPPI, The University of Akron School of Law)

Moderated a panel on AI & IP at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Institute’s Global IP Summit on April 9 in Washington, D.C.
Organized and participated in the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship
On April 16, moderated a panel on standard essential patents at The IP Leadership Executive 2025 in San Jose, California
With Mark Schultz and Emily Michiko Morris, was interviewed by host Chris O’Brien for the April 23 Episode 52 of Biorasi’s Few and Far Between Podcast on IP considerations for biopharmaceutical companies
On April 29, moderated a panel on pending legislation and life sciences litigation at the American Conference Institute (ACI) Paragraph IV Disputes conference in New York City
On May 7, with Mark Schultz and Emily Michiko Morris, submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding its Section 232 investigation of pharmaceutical imports, cautioning against imposing tariffs on medicines and their ingredients (Read more on IPPI’s blog)
On May 19, spoke on a panel on pending legislation and administrative action relating to life sciences patents at the ACI Advanced Summit on Life Sciences Patents
Organized and participated in person in IPPI’s May 21 hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Dr. John Liddicoat (IPPI Scholar; Senior Research Associate and Affiliated Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge)

Spoke at the International Drug Repurposing Conference 2025 (iDR25) Medicines Reimagined: Unlocking the Potential of Existing Drugs for Patient Benefit in Amsterdam, Netherlands. On May 7, Dr. Liddicoat spoke on “Global Government Repurposing Programmes” for the panel “Current Pathways and Initiatives for Drug Repurposing,” and on May 8 spoke on “IP and IP-Less Strategies for Getting New Uses to Patients” as a panelist for the session “Mixed Economies to Drive Drug Repurposing Success”
On May 14, presented paper The Republic of Translational Medicine at the Open Innovation in Science (OIS) Research Conference in Vienna, Austria
On May 25, spoke on “The Missing Link” for KiiPH Annual Research Day in London, UK

Erika Lietzan (IPPI Senior Scholar; Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, William H. Pittman Professor of Law, & Timothy J. Heinsz Professor of Law, University of Missouri School of Law)

Participated as a Distinguished Commentator in the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship

Daryl Lim (IPPI Senior Scholar; H. Laddie Montague Jr. Chair in Law; Associate Dean for Research and Innovation; Founding Director, Intellectual Property Law and Innovation Initiative; and co-hire, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Penn State University)

On May 21, participated virtually in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Dr. William Matcham (IPPI Scholar; Assistant Professor (Lecturer) of Economics, Royal Holloway University of London)

On May 12, presented the paper Screening Property Rights for Innovation, a piece on patent examination co-written with Mark Schankerman, at the University College London Department of Economics Gorman Lecture and Conference 2025

Emily Michiko Morris (IPPI Associate Faculty Chair, Senior for Life Sciences, and Senior Scholar; 2021-2022 Edison Fellow; David L. Brennan Endowed Chair, Associate Professor, and Associate Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law & Technology, University of Akron School of Law)

With Professor Kristina Acri, secured a grant from C4IP to work on a research project entitled “Empirical Analyses of Alleged Pharmaceutical Patent Thickets”
Organized and participated in the March 24 27^th Annual Symposium on Intellectual Property Law and Policy, hosted by The University of Akron’s Center for Intellectual Property Law & Technology at Akron Law, Akron, Ohio, speaking on the panel “Intellectual Property Law and Policy in the New Administration”
With Mark Schultz and Joshua Kresh, was interviewed by host Chris O’Brien for the April 23 Episode 52 of Biorasi’s Few and Far Between Podcast on IP considerations for biopharmaceutical companies
On May 7, with Mark Schultz and Joshua Kresh, submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding its Section 232 investigation of pharmaceutical imports, cautioning against imposing tariffs on medicines and their ingredients (Read more on IPPI’s blog)
Organized and participated in person in IPPI’s May 21 hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Lateef Mtima (IPPI Senior Scholar; Professor of Law, Howard University School of Law; Founder and Director, Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice (IIPSJ))

With Professor Steve Jamar, submitted a book chapter for an anthology being edited by Johanna Gibson, Research Handbook on IP and Social Justice (Johanna Gibson, ed. Oxford University Press 2026) (forthcoming, first quarter of 2026). Their co-authored chapter is entitled “Placing Intellectual Property Social Justice within the International Human Rights Context.”

Loren Mulraine (IPPI Senior Scholar; Professor of Law, Director of Music and Entertainment Law Studies, Belmont University – College of Law)

On April 7, spoke on the panel “Sounds Like Trouble: AI, Music, and the Limits of Copyright” at the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal Annual Symposium

Michael D. Murray (IPPI Scholar; Spears Gilbert Associate Professor of Law, University of Kentucky)

On March 26, delivered the Fifth Annual Judy Stinson Lecture at Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law on the topic “Generative AI at 2 ½ – Making it work for Law Practice (and Legal Education)” (View slide deck | View recording)
On April 11, addressed the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law Visitors’ Committee on the topic of “Artificial Intelligence and the Law”
On April 23, participated on a panel with U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), the Hon. Andrei Iancu and Peter Krug (Council for Innovation Promotion, C4IP), and Ian McClure (UK Vice President for Innovation at UK HealthCare and Associate Vice President for Research) on “Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Kentucky and the Nation” as part of the “Blueprints for Innovation—Intellectual Property in the Bluegrass State” conference
On May 14, represented the University of Kentucky at the Universities Research Association’s virtual Research Policy Forum on Artificial Intelligence in Research and Education in a talk entitled “Teaching and Research in the Age of Generative AI – A Report on 2½ Years of Research” (View recording | View slide deck)
On May 28, presented a paper on Agentic AI, Reasoning Models, and Deep Research in Global Legal Practice at the Global Legal Skills Institute’s GLS-17 Conference at Masaryk University, Faculty of Law, in Brno, Czechia (View slide deck

Christopher M. Newman (IPPI Scholar; Associate Professor of Law, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School)

Signed Amicus Brief of Copyright Law Professors (U.S. April 2025) in Richard Kadrey, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (United States District Court for the Northern District of California San Francisco Division)

Kristen Jakobsen Osenga (IPPI Senior Fellow for Innovation Policy & Senior Scholar; Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Austin E. Owen Research Scholar and Professor of Law, University of Richmond School of Law)

Was among the University of Richmond School of Law professors featured in Richmond Law Magazine’s Spring 2025 issue for “creat[ing[ newsworthy impact with their scholarship” (LinkedIn)
On May 21, participated virtually in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Sean A. Pager (IPPI Senior Scholar; Professor of Law; Associate Director, Intellectual Property, Information & Communications Law Program (IPIC), Michigan State University College of Law)

In May, joined IPPI as a Senior Scholar

Dr. Yogesh Pai (IPPI Scholar; Head – Patents and Treaties Law Section, The World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO)

IPPI congratulates Dr. Pai on his new position as Head – Patents and Treaties Law Section with the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO! Previously, Dr. Pai was Assistant Professor at National Law University Delhi (NLUD) and the Co-Director of Centre for Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition (CIIPC) at National Law University Delhi. He was also in-charge of the IPR Chair at NLU Delhi established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

Douglas Park (IPPI Research Fellow; Research Fellow, Center for Intellectual Property Law & Technology; Visiting Research Assistant Professor, The University of Akron School of Law)

Organized and participated in the March 24 27^th Annual Symposium on Intellectual Property Law and Policy, hosted by The University of Akron’s Center for Intellectual Property Law & Technology at Akron Law, Akron, Ohio, speaking on the panels “Intellectual Property Law and Policy in the New Administration” and “The Ethics of AI in Law Practice: Stay Ethical, Stay Employed”
On May 21, participated in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Alexander Raskovich (IPPI Senior Economist)

Presented new paper entitled Homogeneous Product Bertrand Oligopoly to the Economic Analysis Group of the U.S. Department of Justice on May 14 and to the Hal White Antitrust Conference on June 2

Michael Risch (IPPI Senior Scholar; Professor of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law)

Participated as a Distinguished Commentator in the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship
Presented “Double Patenting and its Discontents” at Temple Law’s IP Colloquium in April 2025
Was quoted in May 22 MLex article “In US patent row between Google, EcoFactor, gatekeepers get a bigger yard”

Alexandra Jane Roberts (IPPI Senior Scholar; Professor of Law and Media & Faculty Director, Center for Law, Information and Creativity (CLIC), Northeastern University School of Law)

On February 20, served as a discussant for the event “CLIC for Social Justice: The Free Exercise of Copyright Behind Bars” at Northeastern University’s Center for Law, Information & Creativity (CLIC)
In March, research in article Trademark Failure to Function (104 Iowa L. Rev. 1977 (2019)) was cited by the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) in its decision in Medical Depot, Inc. v. Med Way US, Case No. 22-CV-01272
Was quoted in March 12Bloomberg article “Influencers’ Commission Hijacking Suits Have Rocky Legal Road” about content creators’ lawsuit against PayPal
On March 14, served as a discussant for a screening of the documentary “As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial” at Northeastern College of Arts Media & Design. Kemba, rapper and creator of the documentary, visited Northeastern for the event.
Was quoted in March 26 Front Office Sports article “Boston NWSL Team Tries Second Name: Legacy” about athletic team trademark selection
Was quoted in March 27 Front Office Sports article “Duke Is Furious About ‘The White Lotus’” about the use of Duke University’s trademarks in a television show
Spoke on the April 9 The Fashion Law webinar “Dupes: Understanding the Legal Implications and Challenges” and presented article Dupes
On April 1, hosted and moderated conversation “Use & Disclosure of AI in IP” at Northeastern University School of Law
In May, presented article Multi-Level Lies at “Multilevel Marketing: The Consumer Protection Challenge” in Washington, D.C.
Article Multi-Level Lies was featured in May 14 The Regulatory Review piece “Multi-Level Marketing, Multi-Level Accountability”
Was quoted in May 22 Front Office Sports article “Steve Madden Sues Adidas to Protect Its Own Use of Stripes” about a trademark dispute between Adidas and Steve Madden
Was quoted in May 28 The Fashion Law article about the sad beige influencer case and its resolution

W. Keith Robinson (IPPI Senior Scholar; Professor of Law, Wake Forest University School of Law)

Was invited to present on “Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency in AI Patents” for the Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts Symposium, New Frontiers in Property in the Time of AI, at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, WA in March
Gave a radio interview on AI-assisted patent inventorship and legal implications for a March 17 episode of The Shaye Ganam Show (630 CHED/770 CHQR, March 17, 2025)

Zvi S. Rosen (IPPI Scholar; Associate Professor, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law)

Congratulations to Professor Rosen, who is joining University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law as an Associate Professor this June!
On March 1, spoke at the Liberty University Law Review’s Law Review Symposium “Artificial Intelligence, Authentic Conversations”
Appeared on Brian Frye’s Ipse Dixit podcast to discuss his work on AI and copyright law (March 27 episode “Zvi Rosen on the History of Copyright in Computer-Generated Works”)
On March 27, gave a trademark history seminar on “Champagne and Worcestershire: The Struggle to Establish International Trademark Law in the United States” as part of the CREATe Trade Mark Seminar Series
Signed Amicus Brief of Copyright Law Professors (U.S. April 2025) in Richard Kadrey, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (United States District Court for the Northern District of California San Francisco Division)
On May 21, participated virtually in IPPI’s hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Allison Schmitt (2025-2025 IPPI Edison Fellow; Fellow and Director, BCLT Life Sciences Law & Policy Center, UC Berkeley Law)

Participated as an Edison Fellow and presenter for the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship

Mark F. Schultz (IPPI Faculty Chair, Senior Fellow for Copyright and the Creative Industries, & Senior Scholar; Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Chair in Intellectual Property Law, University of Akron School of Law; Director, Center for Intellectual Property Law and Technology)

Organized and participated in the March 24 27^th Annual Symposium on Intellectual Property Law and Policy, hosted by The University of Akron’s Center for Intellectual Property Law & Technology at Akron Law, Akron, Ohio, speaking on the panel “Trade Secret Game-Changers: New Rules from Landmark Decisions”
With Emily Michiko Morris and Joshua Kresh, was interviewed by host Chris O’Brien for the April 23 Episode 52 of Biorasi’s Few and Far Between Podcast on IP considerations for biopharmaceutical companies
Participated as a Distinguished Commentator in the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship
On May 7, with Emily Michiko Morris and Joshua Kresh, submitted formal comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding its Section 232 investigation of pharmaceutical imports, cautioning against imposing tariffs on medicines and their ingredients (Read more on IPPI’s blog)
Organized and participated in person in IPPI’s May 21 hybrid roundtable/policy networking session on “IP Policy in the Second Trump Administration,” hosted in Washington, D.C.

Brenda Simon (IPPI Senior Scholar; ProFlowers Professor of Internet Studies and Professor of Law, California Western School of Law)

On April 11, presented on “Bespoke Regulation of Artificial Intelligence” at PatCon 13, the annual patent law conference at the University of San Diego School of Law
On April 5, was named the recipient of the teaching award for “Favorite 1L Professor” at California Western School of Law. Congratulations to Professor Simon!
On May 16, presented on “Artificial Intelligence and the Self-Represented Inventor” at the Biolaw Conference at Stanford Law School

Dr. Andrew Vassallo (2025-2026 IPPI Edison Fellow; Associate Professor, Shippensburg University)

Participated as an Edison Fellow and presenter for the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship

Dr. Bhamati Viswanathan (IPPI Scholar; Assistant Professor of Law, New England Law | Boston)

On April 3, spoke on a panel about Copyright and AI at the Boston IP Lawyers Association (BIPLA)
Was quoted in April 8 Bloomberg News article “OpenAI Copyright Suit Consolidation Portends Consistency, Risk” on the recent consolidation of NYT v. OpenAI and other copyright-related AI lawsuits in the Second Circuit
On April 9, led a panel on “Copyright, IP, and Rights Stewardship for Artist-Endowed Foundations” at the Aspen Institute Artists-Endowed Foundations Initiative (AEFI)
Participated as an Edison Fellow and presenter for the virtual April 10-11 First Meeting of the 2025-2026 Edison Fellowship
In April, joined several illustrious IP professors in signing onto an amicus brief in the Kadrey v. Meta case, which involves AI training its LLMS on creative works: Amicus Brief of Copyright Law Professors (U.S. April 2025) in Richard Kadrey, et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (United States District Court for the Northern District of California San Francisco Division). (Additional links: TechCrunch | Brief, Bloomberg Law Court Dockets)

Scholarship & Other Writing

These are articles and other pieces written by members of the IPPI team or our affiliates from March through May 2025.

Kristina Acri, “Foreign IP Violators Could Halt Colorado’s New Gold Rush,” Westword (March 29, 2025)

Kristina Acri, “The Financing of the Market for Biopharmaceutical Innovation,” in The pharmaceutical market: how can international trade and health be reconciled? / Le marché pharmaceutique: quelles voies pour une dialectique commerce international et santé? (Mare et Martin 2025)

Jonathan Barnett, “Big Tech M&A Risk Under Trump May Resemble Biden Era,” Law360 (May 20, 2025)

Matt Blaszczyk, “Thaler v. Perlmutter: Human Authors at the Center of Copyright?,” Kluwer Copyright Blog (April 8, 2025)

Mark Cohen, “Implications of the Recent WTO Ruling on China’s SEP Practices,” China IPR (April 27, 2025)

Mark Cohen, “Navigating the New Chinese Regulations on Foreign IP Disputes,” China IPR (March 23, 2025)

Mark Cohen, “The Revised US-China Science and Technology Agreement – A Narrow Bridge to Drive Further Cooperation,” China IPR (April 21, 2025)

Michael Doane, Patent Law’s Trade Remedy (February 01, 2025). Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law, Volume 28*
*The research and writing of this paper were supported by the Thomas Edison Innovation Law and Policy Fellowship

Jon M. Garon, Artificial Intelligence Law and Regulation in a Nutshell (West Academic Publishing, 2025) (View and purchase at Amazon or West Academic)

Michael P. Goodyear, Infringing Information Architectures, 58 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 1959 (2025)

Michael P. Goodyear, Artificial Infringement. In Proceedings of the 2025 Symposium on Computer Science and Law (CSLAW ’25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 26–38. https://doi.org/10.1145/3709025.3712208

Zachary Henderson, AI and Probabilistic Dispute Resolution (July 31, 2024). Wisconsin Law Review, Vol. 2025, Issue 1 [Wisconsin Law Review | SSRN]*
*Zachary Henderson is a 2025-2026 IPPI Edison Fellow.

Camilla Hrdy, “OpenEvidence v. Pathway: The Legal Battle Over AI Reverse Engineering,” Written Description (March 4, 2025)

IPPI Staff, “IPPI Cautions that Pharmaceutical Tariffs Would Harm Patients and U.S. Innovation Leadership,” IPPI Blog (May 9, 2025)

Lateef Mtima and Steven Jamar, “Placing Intellectual Property Social Justice within the International Human Rights Context,” in Research Handbook on IP and Social Justice (Johanna Gibson, ed. Oxford University Press 2026) (forthcoming, first quarter of 2026)

Michael D. Murray, Agentic AI, Reasoning Models, and Deep Research in Global Legal Practice (May 29, 2025)

Sean Pager & Eric Priest, The Cost of Music: Has Digitization Made Copyright Obsolete?, 14 NYU J. Intel. Prop & Ent. L. __ (2026)

Alexander Raskovich, Homogenous Product Bertrant Oligopoly (2025)

Alexandra J. Roberts, Dupes, 14 NYU J. of Intell. Prop. & Ent. law 94 (2025)

Alexandra J. Roberts, Multi-level Lies, 58 UC Davis L. Rev. 2287 (2025)

W. Keith Robinson, “When Humans Use AI to Earn Patents, Who Is Doing the Inventing?,” The Conversation (March 14, 2025)

Zvi S. Rosen, “Some Initial Thoughts on the DC Circuit’s Rejection of AI Authorship,” (Mostly) IP History Blog (March 19, 2025) [on Thaler v. Perlmutter]

Mark F. Schultz, Emily Michiko Morris, & Joshua Kresh, Comments Re: Request for Public Comments on Section 232 National Security Investigation of Imports of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Ingredients (Doc. ID BIS-2025-0022) XRIN 0694-XC120 (May 7, 2025)