Events
Copyrighting Nature
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 12:45pm to 1:45pm
Copyrighting Nature explores the concept of a "work of nature" doctrine in copyright law. It examines the legal and policy implications of copyrighting works inspired by nature, such as animal depictions and natural phenomena. The project critiques current judicial decisions and proposes a new framework to balance human creativity with the need to keep nature's expressions free for public use. It highlights inconsistencies in how courts handle copyright claims involving works of nature and suggests a judicial approach that considers the influence of nature on copyright validity and infringement.
The mission of the IBL Center is threefold:
- To offer speakers and programs that enrich the College of Law's curriculum pertaining to the laws governing entrepreneurship, creativity, competition, technology and corporations.
- To provide support to students who seek to build careers in these areas.
- To engage law students, faculty, and the public in cutting-edge discussions about legal issues raised by technological advancements.
We accomplish this mission by:
- Hosting academics, practitioners and judges who interact directly with students.
- Supporting student organizations such as the Intellectual Property Law Society, IP Moot Court teams, and the Journal of Corporation Law.
- Providing summer stipends for students doing unpaid legal work in intellectual property, technology, corporate or business law, antitrust, health law, and related fields.
Areas of law encompassed by the center's mission include:
- Intellectual Property Law, including copyright, patent, and trademark law;
- Antitrust and Competition Law;
- Business Associations and Securities Law.
Director and Funding
The Director of the IBL Center is Jason Rantanen, and its activities are entirely supported by the David M. Hellwege, JD '73 Fund.
