Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

Re-Imagining Tomorrow: A Technology, Innovation Law, And Ethics Symposium On Addictive Technology And Children, Margaret Chon

Seattle University Law Review

In this Foreword, Professor Margaret Chon introduces Seattle University's Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) program, the 2024 TILE Symposium, and Dr. Gaia Bernstein’s Unwired: Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies.

Keynote Address: The Movement To Protect Kids From Addictive Technologies, Gaia Bernstein

Seattle University Law Review

In this keynote address, I describe my personal journey starting with a school outreach program I created in 2017 to address technology overuse among kids. While I initially advocated for self-help methods, I grew to recognize that the tech industry bore responsibility. This realization led me to write Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies, which focused on collective action to pressure the tech industry to redesign its addictive products.

I then describe the movement to control addictive technologies and protect kids, which has gained momentum since the end of the pandemic. This movement combines grassroots parent activism with legal-political action. …

Moral Panic Or Public Health Crisis? Lessons From Drugs And Gambling For “Addictive” Design, Matthew B. Lawrence, Haomin (Kevin) Yan

Seattle University Law Review

Alcohol, automobiles, guns, lottery, loot boxes, meat, music, opioid painkillers, processed foods, prop bets, slot machines, television, tobacco, violent video games. Over the last century each of these has been subject to concerns—some might even say “moral panics”—from parents and policymakers about avoidable harms to kids and adults. In some cases we look back with the benefit of hindsight and dismiss those concerns as naïve or moralistic. In others we look back at them as justified or as having come too late to check an expanding industry before it did unfathomable harm while growing so powerful that it became all …

Responding To Digital Addiction, Ned Snow

Seattle University Law Review

In Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies, Professor Gaia Bernstein calls our attention to the growing problem of digital addiction. Digital addiction may sound like something out of a science-fiction novel or something that does not raise the same sort of real-life practical concerns as are present in a physical health crisis or an economic decline. But as Bernstein presents the evidence, we learn that the consequences of digital addiction can be just as harmful as a serious disease or a financial depression. Cognitive development disorders, anxiety, emotional depression, social isolation, and other mental health ills can be debilitating—as much …

The Ai Doppelgänger Dilemma: Cloned Voices In The Music Industry, Elizabeth Shields

Seattle University Law Review

With the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), there has been an influx of “voice clones”—deep-learning algorithms that create synthetic speech to realistically mimic human voices. Celebrities and, in particular, music artists, have been subjected to the proliferation of AI voice clones on social media platforms like TikTok and streaming platforms such as Spotify. Despite music utilizing AI voice clones having amassed much popularity, this technology can be harmful and highly invasive to musicians whose livelihoods often depend on their distinct voices. While legal scholars have attempted to articulate various rights that could protect a person’s voice, individuals are largely …

Let The Sunshine In: Crafting Constitutional Transparency Regulations For Content Moderation, Caitlin Ring Carlson

Seattle University Law Review

In response to public concern about the impact of social media, legislators in some U.S. states have developed laws to regulate the process of content moderation. Many include mandatory transparency and disclosure requirements, some of which courts have already deemed an unconstitutional infringement on social media platforms’ right to free expression. This article explores the parameters for crafting constitutional social media transparency regulations using existing U.S. media policy and insights from recent legal challenges. The resulting analysis identifies content neutral transparency requirements that mandate the disclosure of purely factual, non-controversial information as those most likely to withstand judicial scrutiny. Specifically, …

This Is Not A Game: The Addictive Allure Of Digital Companions, Nizan Geslevich Packin, Karni Chagal-Feferkorn

Seattle University Law Review

Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents have become an inescapable part of modern childhood, reshaping education, leisure activities, entertainment, and social interaction. From AI-powered tutors that adapt to individual learning styles to emotionally responsive chatbots that simulate human companionship, these systems promise unprecedented personalization, cognitive stimulation, and social support. However, these benefits mask significant risks that remain unregulated and inadequately addressed.

Although adults are also susceptible to forming deep emotional bonds with AI companions—often trusting them as if they possessed genuine understanding and empathy—children are particularly vulnerable. Their misplaced trust can more severely distort social development, weaken critical thinking, and foster unhealthy …

The Puzzle Of Biologics Manufacturing Platform Patents, Osmat Azzam Jeferson, W. Nicholson Price Ii, S. Sean Tu, Saurabh Vishnubhakat, Arti K. Rai

Articles

The predominance of manufacturing process patents asserted in litigation by originator biologics companies against would-be biosimilar entrants has resulted in a number of Congressional and administrative agency proposals that could increase scrutiny and limit enforceability.

Analysis Of The Agenda For Sccr 46, Pijip

Joint PIJIP/TLS Research Paper Series

Protection of Broadcasting Organizations

The central question for the Broadcasting Treaty, in line with the 2007 General Assembly Mandate, is whether there is sufficient “agreement on objectives, specific scope and object of protection” to warrant a recommendation for a diplomatic conference. (WO/GA/34/16). The 2006 GA mandated that the Broadcasting Treaty be “confined to the protection of broadcasting and cablecasting organizations in the traditional sense” and “based on a signal-based approach” (WO/GA/33/10, para 107, 2006).

The SCCR 45 Chair’s Summary states:“[w]ith respect to objectives, there is common understanding … that the treaty should be narrowly focused on …

Un©Ertainty And Dis©Omfort, Richard Chused

Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

This essay explores creative works that produce powerful reactions of discernment, hostility, or deep uncertainty from mysterious forms of “blankness.” They all use silence or similarly ineffable qualities to challenge the thoughtfulness and tolerance of audience members. They force us to understand that creativity sometimes manifests itself in strange and bizarre ways that test not only our viewing tolerance, but also our traditional notions of creativity and of intellectual property boundary lines. It is like forcing fully sensory-enabled people to think about creativity in ways that may mimic a small fragment of the daily experience of those with limited sight …

Quo Vadis, Fair Use? The Future Of Fair Use After The Warhol Decision, Vicenç Feliú, Josh Lida

Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

This article critically examines the recent Supreme Court decision in Warhol v. Goldsmith and its impact on fair use within the realm of visual art. The paper traces the historical development of fair use from its inception in Folsom v. Marsh in 1841 to its formal integration into the Copyright Act of 1976 and subsequent evolution through landmark Supreme Court rulings.

The article focuses on the Court’s scrutiny of the first factor of the fair use doctrine in Warhol v. Goldsmith, particularly the emphasis on commercial intent in determining fair use. It argues that the Court’s elevation of commercial …

The Times They Are A-Changin': Adapting Copyright Law To Generative Ai, Giovanni Lomonaco

Pace Law Review

Artificial intelligence has come a long way since the days of the “heartless” tin man of the Wizard of Oz, and the cool, precise autonomy of Kit from Nightrider. We have moved rapidly from mere questions about what life could be like with autonomous machines, to having books, movies, and albums created using machines for part or even all of the process. The Copyright Act, however, has not come as long of a way since the implementation of the most recent version of the Act in 1976. Recently, the federal district court for the District of Columbia held …

Pursuing Patent Protection In The U.S. Via The Pct: Legal And Practical Implications For 371 And Bypass Routes, Francisco Tschen

Cleveland State Law Review

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (“PCT”) has emerged as a pivotal mechanism for inventors and companies seeking international patent protection. The PCT provides a unified application process accepted by member countries, simplifying, and standardizing the procedural aspects of filing for patent protection in multiple countries. For inventors pursuing patent protection in the United States via the PCT, inventors must submit their application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) and choose between one of two primary routes: 1) entering the U.S. national stage under 35 U.S.C. §371 (“371 route”), or 2) filing a continuation or divisional of the PCT …

Second-Guessing The Jury: The Federal Circuit's Flawed Take On Enhanced Damages In Halo V. Pulse, Dennis D. Crouch

Faculty Publications

This article critically examines the Federal Circuit's February 2025 decision in Halo v. Pulse, focusing on the court's approach to enhanced damages in patent infringement cases. The analysis identifies a fundamental tension between jury findings of willful infringement under a clear and convincing evidence standard and the district court's subsequent discretion to deny enhanced damages by essentially reconsidering the same evidence. The article argues that the Federal Circuit's affirmation of this approach undermines the Supreme Court's 2016 Halo decision, which sought to make enhanced damages more accessible in cases of egregious misconduct. By creating an artificial distinction between "willful infringement" …

Documentary History Of The Broadcast Treaty In The Sccr (Global Version), Luca Schirru, Lokesh Vyas, Haddija Jawara, Lukas Ruthes Gonçalves, Katie Mcgee, Yara Misto, Sean Michael Fiil Flynn

Joint PIJIP/TLS Research Paper Series

The objective of this study is to systematically map all meetings of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) and the General Assemblies (GA) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to extract, compile, and organize all relevant statements made Member States regarding the proposed Broadcasting Treaty.

The analysis was based on publicly available data from the WIPO website, particularly the official pages dedicated to each SCCR and GA meeting. Our primary focus was on statements recorded in the official "Report" document of each session. When available, we also examined supplementary documents, such as the "Summary by the …

Adopting Permissioned Blockchain Models To Enhance Consumer Protection And Comply With Consumer Protection Laws, Erika Buenrostro

Featured Student Work

Blockchain technology enables decentralized, peer-to-peer transactions and data management, offering transparency while raising data privacy and consumer protection concerns. As the current administration promotes blockchain adoption, including cryptocurrency, more users and businesses will likely integrate the technology. This thesis provides a framework to help businesses adopt blockchain while ensuring compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). To prevent data mishandling and legal penalties, consumers and businesses must stay informed about the risks and evolving state privacy laws.

A CCPA-compliant approach retains blockchain’s benefits through a permissioned model, storing only non-personal (neutral) data on-chain while keeping personal information off-chain in …

Objectives And Principles For An Instrument On Limitations And Exceptions: Relevant Excerpts And Proposals, Sean Flynn, Luca Schirru

Joint PIJIP/TLS Research Paper Series

The Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) has been mandated by the 2012 General Assembly to work toward “an appropriate international legal instrument or instruments (whether through model law, joint recommendation, treaty, and/or other forms)”. In SCCR 43, the Committee adopted a Work Program (SCCR/43/8) to draft “objectives, principles, and options” for potential instruments. With the goal of facilitating the discussion within the Committee and the design of principles and objectives, our research team systematically gathered and organized relevant excerpts from a variety of sources including existing treaties, laws, SCCR documents, academic contributions, and civil society proposals. This document …

In Defense Of The Texas Statutory Easement, Matthew Crockett

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

More than half the states, including Texas, have adopted a little-known statutory procedure by which a landlocked property owner may ask the government to exercise eminent domain to gain an easement over a neighbor’s property. Texas’s version, the rarely cited Texas Transportation Code section § 251.053, raises as many questions as it answers. This Article dissects section § 251.053, discusses the arguments for and against statutory easements, and argues in favor of statutory easements, particularly in Texas.

What's Important To Write About? A Century Of Washington Law Review Topics, Hugh Spitzer

Washington Law Review

This Article examines the topics of all lead articles in Washington Law Review during its past ninety-eight years of publication. The analysis illustrates the changing interests of legal academics, student editors, and the working lawyers and judges who have read and used the articles over a century. For its first fifty years, the journal focused on general topics of interest to practitioners, Washington law matters, business and tax law, and government regulation. Other topics, such as legal and judicial system reform, constitutional law, and comparative and international law, were present in modest numbers. In its second half century, Washington Law …

The Fintiv Pendulum Swings Again: More Discretionary Denials Coming Soon, Dennis D. Crouch

Faculty Publications

This article examines the USPTO’s recent rescission of the June 2022 Vidal memorandum, signaling a significant policy shift in the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's (PTAB) approach to discretionary denials of inter partes reviews (IPRs). The rescission reinstates the precedential status of Apple Inc. v. Fintiv, Inc. and its six-factor test for evaluating whether to deny IPR institution based on parallel district court litigation. The article traces the evolution of discretionary denials under the America Invents Act (AIA), from their initial limited application to the expansive approach under Director Iancu, the subsequent narrowing under Director Vidal, and now the anticipated …