2025 - 2026 Student Articles
By Ethan Watson As China grows in global influence and the world shifts towards a multipolar model, perhaps no issue highlights the ongoing culture clash like the flow of intellectual property from West to East. As outlined below, China views Western, particularly American, intellectual property as a resource to be plundered for nation-building purposes.[1] American […]
By Cayden Perez. Cayden is a second-year law student at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona. Cayden is a fellow of the McCarthy Institute’s Symposia branch and served as the TechTainment Committee Chair. Cayden wishes to pursue international intellectual property law upon graduating. Introduction Trademarks are words, symbols, […]
By Shannon Kavanagh Columbia University (the “University”), are in dispute regarding the trademark “Columbia.”[1] Columbia Sportswear owns a registered trademark for the word, “Columbia,”[2] covering “men’s, women’s and children’s jackets, parkas, wind resistant jackets, pants, shorts, rain suits, ski bibs, jacketliners, gaiters, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, shoes and boots, men’s and women’s turtlenecks, sweatshirts, […]
By Lauren Berry Advances in artificial intelligence (“AI”) and digital visual effects now allow filmmakers to render actors as younger versions of themselves, enabling performances that appear to transcend time.[1] Recent films such as Avengers: Endgame[2], Here[3], and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny[4] rely on de-aging technology that draws heavily from actors’ prior […]
By Lauren Reynolds Introduction In the last two decades, consumer consciousness surrounding the production of goods has heightened, with many consumers choosing to support products that are created in more sustainable manners.[1] With such a shift in consumer behavior, many companies have shifted practices to accommodate more sustainable practices.[2] To signal to consumers that products […]
By Raielle Watkins I had the opportunity to sit down with Kandace D. Walter, an intellectual property attorney, entrepreneur, and clinical professor with extensive experience in patent and trademark law. During our conversation, I asked Ms. Walter about her path into intellectual property, the skills necessary to succeed in the field, and the role intellectual […]
By Avery Underwood Avery Underwood is a 2L at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and a McCarthy Institute Fellow. She has a background in genetics and bioinformatics and is interested in intellectual property law. Introduction I had the pleasure of speaking with Amir J. Sadeghi over Zoom on January […]
By Miguel Soto Pachuca The intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and intellectual property law brings forth one of the most pressing questions for patent systems: Can AI be an inventor? The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit delivered a decisive ruling in Thaler v. Vidal, affirming that AI cannot be recognized as […]
By Sarah Haynes She is a first year law student at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She holds a master’s degree in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, both from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has an interest in how intellectual property law impacts the […]
By Ilianna Murphy. I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Stolley, who works for Intel as a Cloud Application Development Engineer. Mr. Stolley works under the IP Program Office, and earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa. His answers are paraphrased. 1. Can you tell me more about your career […]
Smart Glasses, Smarter Laws?: IP Protection and Privacy Enforcement in the Wearable Surveillance Era
By Cierra A. Phillips A glimpse into the future of developing technology seems to come straight out of a sci-fi movie—but does it end with a dystopian twist? As technology has advanced, many fantastical predictions about the innovations the future will hold have become commonplace.[1] From self-driving cars to artificial intelligence (AI) companions, the last […]
By Annie Weiler Copyright has a strange relationship with the First Amendment.[1] They have similar origins—most notably, the United States Constitution[2] and decades of jurisprudence[3]—and seem to have the same goals, specifically disseminating “more, better, and more diverse” expressive works.[4] In theory, those similarities cast copyright and the First Amendment as partners—different sides of the […]
By Kirsten Potts A ten-minute train ride outside of Geneva leads to one of the most significant scientific collaborations in the world: the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Established in the 1940s, CERN brings together scientists from twenty-five member states and several observer countries, including the United States.[1] At the core of the collaboration […]
By Jocelyn Chu Vose Television is one of the most intellectual-property-dense forms of entertainment. A single episode can contain copyrighted music, artwork, brand names, fictional characters inspired by real people, and references to real companies or public figures. Because of this complexity, television production relies heavily on a legal process known as “clearance.” Clearance refers […]
By Sarah Haynes. Sarah Haynes is a first year law student at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She holds a master’s degree in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, both from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has an interest in how intellectual property law impacts […]
2024 - 2025 Student Articles
By Megan Isagholian. Introduction AI-generated deepfake media may have positive and negative uses. Deepfake technology has been used to improve visual effects[1] and enable guest appearances or performances of deceased individuals.[2] On the other hand, deepfake technology can create fake videos that potentially damage reputations[3] and lead to the “loss of authenticity and creativity in […]
By Keyerra Harfield. Keyerra is a second-year law student at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where she is focusing on the intersection of intellectual property and contract law. Currently, Keyerra serves as a Co-Senior Fellow of Symposia at the McCarthy Institute, and as Treasurer for the Intellectual Property Students Association. Keyerra also serves […]
By Gus Campbell. Gus Campbell is a 3L student at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. He is the Student Co-Executive Director of the McCarthy Institute. As a musician, Gus is interested in the world of intellectual property, specifically copyright, trademarks, and right of publicity. Gus is interested in pursuing a career in intellectual property […]
By Obren Manjencich. Obren Manjencich is a second-year law student at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where he serves as an Associate Editor for the Sports and Entertainment Law Journal. With a strong focus on Intellectual Property and Sports & Entertainment law, he is committed to building a career at the intersection of […]
By Jason Huang. Jason is a 1L at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and is a McCarthy Fellow. He was born in Texas but grew up in Shanghai, China, where he lived until he graduated high school. He spent a gap year hiking across the United States, then enrolled at Thomas Aquinas College […]
By Daniel Metz. Daniel is a current 1L at the Sandra Day O’Connor School of law at ASU. He’s interested in the ways that law can be used to maximize the potential of emerging technologies, while also protecting against their potential pitfalls. Prior to law school, Daniel worked as a data scientist in the advertising […]
By Nic Bonfiglio. Nicolas Bonfiglio is a 1L JD candidate at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. With an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering he is very interested in patent prosecution and litigation. Having passed the patent bar before entering law school he is ready to start helping inventors protect their ideas. He currently […]
By Tanner Murray. Tanner is a 2L at Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, as well as a McCarthy Institute Fellow. The ongoing litigation between Corteva Agriscience LLC and Inari Agriculture, Inc. illustrates the tension among the fields of patent law, plant variety protection, and international biotechnical competition as they converge in […]
By Benjamin Alto. Benjamin Alto is a 3L Juris Doctorate candidate at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University with a focus on Intellectual Property law. He currently serves as a McCarthy Institute Fellow starting in 2023. Ben brings a background in patent and trademark prosecution and litigation, having worked with the Lisa […]
By Lesley Forst Michalegko. Lesley Forst Michalegko is a 3L JD candidate at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She is interested in data, privacy, biotechnology and health law. During her time in law school Lesley served as a Law, Science and Innovation Scholar and a McCarthy Fellow. Lesley has […]
By Eunmi Kang. Eunmi is a second year law student at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. She graduated from law school in Korea before moving to the United States. Previously, she worked at the Human Rights Commissioner’s Office in South Korea, working with foreign clients. She is a Fellow of the McCarthy Institute […]
By Shannon Kavanagh. Shannon is a 2L J.D. Candidate at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She is an honors graduate of Penn State University and the Bellisario College of Communications with a degree in print and digital journalism and a minor in women, gender and sexuality studies. She is a […]
By Payton Love. Payton is a 2L at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and serves as the Co-Chair of the Symposium Branch at the McCarthy Institute. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration at Grand Canyon University. This past summer, Payton externed at the United States Federal District Court with Judge Brnovich. […]
By: Bianca Moazez. Bianca Moazez is a 1L at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, with a strong interest in law, science, and innovation. She is a Law, Science, and Innovation (LSI) Center Scholar. She serves as a 1L Representative for the Law and Science Student Association (LASSA), an Admissions […]
By Sarah Siddiqui. Sarah Siddiqui is a 2L at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Before law school, she graduated from UCLA with a degree in political science. Currently, Sarah is an Associate Editor for Jurimetrics and a fellow at the McCarthy Institute. I. INTRODUCTION Matal v. Tam is a landmark decision by the United […]
By Faith Keist. Faith Keist is a 1L at Sandra Day O’Connor Law School. She is the Marketing Co-ordinator for the Copyright Symposium within the McCarthy Institute. She has an interest in both government and public policy work and international human rights law. She is hoping to receive an internship for human rights work over […]
By Taylor Brown, a first year J.D. candidate at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Before law school she completed her B.S. in Biological Sciences. While in law school she serves as a Research Fellow for the McCarthy Institute, and is a Center Scholar for the Center for Law, Science, and Innovation. LKQ Corporation […]
By Veronica Andreev 1. What qualifications are required to become a trademark examiner at KIPO? Is there a specific background that is perhaps more advantageous? According to Enforcement decree of the Korean Patent Act, to qualify as an examiner, a person must be a state public official ranked at Grade VI or higher, working for […]
By Ariana Garrotto, a 1L at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. Ariana is a fellow in the McCarthy Institute. Introduction Patent pools are agreements between two or more patent holders to share or license their patents to each other or to external parties. [1] In 1856, the first patent pool […]
By Lauren Isagholian, interviewing Nick Huskins. Nick Huskins, Senior Corporate Counsel for IP at Amazon Studios and Prime Video has built a distinguished career at the intersection of entertainment and intellectual property (IP) law. His legal career began at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where, after taking a few entertainment classes, he quickly discovered […]
By Rayne Wolf, interviewing Steven Laxton. Steven Laxton, an alumnus of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, is a patent litigation associate at Winston & Strawn. With a unique blend of engineering expertise and legal acumen, Steven’s career exemplifies the intersection of technology and law. His time clerking for one […]
By Annie Weiler Annie Weiler is a 1L J.D. candidate at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. As the Chair of Line Editing and Cite Checking for the McCarthy Institute, she is particularly interested in the intersection of intellectual property, entertainment, and consumer protection Outside of intellectual property, Annie is interested in professional ethics, […]
By Kylie Snow Kylie Snow is a third year J.D. candidate at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Before law school she completed her B.S. in Biological Sciences and her M.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology. While in law school she serves as the Senior Note and Comment Editor for Jurimetrics, is the McCarthy […]
By Timmy Basista Timmy Basista is a 3L JD candidate at ASU Law with a strong interest in clerking aiming to carve a pathway up to clerking at the Federal Circuit. They are one of the Student Co-Executive Directors of the McCarthy Institute. They especially enjoy copyright and patent within the field of IP. Along […]
2023-2024 Student Articles
By Timmy Basista Timmy Basista is a 3L JD candidate at ASU Law with a strong interest in clerking aiming to carve a pathway up to clerking at the Federal Circuit. They are one of the Student Co-Executive Directors of the McCarthy Institute. They especially enjoy copyright and patent within the field of IP. Along with these […]
By Maha Qureshi Maha Qureshi is a 3L at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University with a strong interest in Law, Science, and Innovation. She is the Associate Editor for Patent Scholarship for The McCarthy Institute and also serves as an Executive Editor for Jurimetrics, the journal of the American Bar Association […]
By Matthew Holt Matt is a 3L pursuing a JD and a Masters in Sports Law and Business at ASU Law. He is also the Senior Fellow for Scholarship in the McCarthy Institute. He has a strong interest in trademark and trade secret law. In addition to his intellectual property pursuits, Matt also has a […]
2022-2023 Student Articles
By Jackson Pittman With contributions from Chat GPT (see text in blue). Note: The U.S. Copyright Office’s official guidance for AI-generated works was discussed at the McCarthy Institute Copyright Symposium in Los Angeles on March 16, 2023. In March 2023, the U.S. Copyright Office released official guidance concerning the copyrightability of AI-generated works. [1] The […]
By Elizabeth Porter Midnight Album Leaks and the DMCA Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album, Midnights, was scheduled to release on October 21, 2022, but when fans got their hands on the physical album days before the planned release, copies of the songs started to appear on the internet. When song recordings are posted publicly without […]
By Markus Benavidez From the sensual red bottom of a Christian Louboutin heel, the iconic Louis Vuitton “LV” symbol, and the infamous “Nike Swoosh,” fashion is all around. Whether you strive to obtain the new “it bag,” or the new sneakers that “just dropped,” everyone interacts with fashion on a daily basis. Fashion can serve […]