George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

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

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

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

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

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

Professor Justin Hughes on “Restating Copyright Law’s Originality Requirement”

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

the word "copyright" typed on a typewriterBy Ryan Reynolds

In the 89 years following the publishing of the first Restatement of Law in 1932, the American Law Institute’s (ALI) Restatements have become an important tool for those in the legal community to better understand different bodies of law. Read more

Artist Roundtable Presented by the Mason Sports & Entertainment Law Association and the Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Clinic

The following post comes from Austin Shaffer, a 2L at Scalia Law and a Research Assistant at CPIP.

the word "copyright" typed on a typewriterBy Austin Shaffer

On April 6th, the Mason Sports & Entertainment Law Association, in conjunction with the Arts & Entertainment Advocacy Clinic, hosted its Artist Roundtable event. Read more