Past Events

Innovate / Activate 1.0

On September 24-25, 2010, the New York Law School Institute for Information Law & Policy and the Yale Law School Information Society Project convened the Innovate / Activate Unconference on Intellectual Property and Activism, an event made possible by the generous support of Google. Innovate / Activate brought together over 100 students, academics, activists, and professionals from all across the IP and activism spectrum to examine the ways in which we can improve global welfare through the thoughtful consideration of IP.

Innovate / Activate 1.0 was host to nearly 50 presentations covering an enormously wide spectrum of topics. In addition to the plenary sessions described below, there were also 26 participant created and led unconference sessions. Video of all of the presentations can be found here.

Program

Unkeynote
IILP Director Dan Hunter in conversation with three of the most integral and influential figures in the access to knowledge movement: Amy Kapczynski (Berkeley Law School), Lea Shaver (Hofstra Law School), and Niva Elkin-Koren (University of Haifa Faculty of Law).

Panel: Replicate / Recreate
The convergence of IP and activism can be seen all around us and can take many forms. In some cases, the activist goals are aimed at reforming the IP system itself. In other cases, access to IP may be an indispensable component of the ultimate goal. In still other cases, an organization’s goals may ostensibly have nothing to do with IP, but thoughtful consideration of IP may lead to new and useful strategies. This panel spotlights organizations that have successfully incorporated IP thought into their missions.

Panelists: Pat Aufderheide (Center for Social Media, American University), Ethan Guillen (Universities Allied for Essential Medicines), Nelson Pavlosky (Students for Free Culture), Stephen Schultze (Princeton Center for IT Policy), Elizabeth Townsend Gard (Center for IP Law and Culture, Tulane Law School), Lindsey Weeramuni (MIT OpenCourseWare). Moderated by Lea Shave (Hofstra Law School).

Caught in the Rye film Screening with Q&A
Innovate / Activate is proud to present the premier of Caught in the Rye, a student-produced film about the Salinger v Colting case.

J.D. Salinger is one of the most well-known American authors in history. His novel, Catcher in the Rye, captured the angst of youth through his main character Holden Caufield. Reclusive and litigious in nature, Salinger is very protective of his work.

Frederick Colting, author of The Macho Man’s Drinkbook: Because Nude Girls and Alcohol Go Great Together, used the pen name “J.D. California” to write 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye. Billed as a sequel, Colting’s novel led Salinger’s legal team to file a claim against Colting to stop the book from being published in the US.

The resulting trial brought to the forefront legal issues associated with the doctrines of fair use, derivative works, and character copyright. In Caught in the Rye, the New York Law School student-filmmakers explore the background of the two parties, the legal issues at play, and the various perspectives on what the outcomes should be. They ask why does Salinger feel threatened by Colting’s work? Why did Colting write the book in the first place? And what effect will the Second Circuit’s decision have on the state of copyright law?

The film screening will be immediately followed by a Q&A session with two of the filmmakers, Seena Ghaznavi and Tom Lemmo. They will also be joined by Nina Paley (award winning filmmaker of Sita Sings the Blues), Dr. Eric Faden (Bucknell University), and Karl Fogel (QuestionCopyright.org).

Panel: Articulate / Anticipate
The success of any form of activism depends largely upon the ability of those involved to identify obstacles to achieving the organization’s goals. In order to realize the goals of IP activists, it’s necessary to connect the dots between what IP is and why you should care. Before we can change the game, we need to know the rules. Understanding the rules in this sphere is not merely an exercise in reciting statutes; activists must also understand the ways in which different innovation systems interact with each other. This panel focuses on connecting the dots between what IP is and why you should care.

Panelists: Jonathan Band (policybandwidth), Nicholas Bramble (Yale Law School Information Society Project), Molly Land (IILP, New York Law School), Frank Pasquale (Seton Hall Law School), Jason Schultz (Samuelson Clinic, Berkeley Law School), Peter Yu (IP Law Center, Drake University Law School). Moderated by Dr. Kenneth Crews (Copyright Advisory Office, Columbia University Libraries).

Lunch Keynote
The Manchester Manifesto
Dr. Catherine Rhodes, Institute for Science, Ethics, and Innovation, University of Manchester School of Law

Panel: Innovate / Activate
Technological progress has provided us with the tools to shape activism in bold new ways. Never before has there been such potential for global access to innovation and innovation to improve the lives of so many. The Internet has the power to spur innovation and dissemination information at a rate unimaginable by previous generations. Social media tools enhance the ability of activists to reach larger audiences all around the world. New business models have emerged that increase the capacity of activists to procure necessary resources and funding. This panel focuses on designing and delivering practical solutions by examining the state of technology, law, and policy.

Panelists: Fred Benenson (Kickstarter), Laura Denardis (Yale Law School Information Society Project), David Levine (Elon University School of Law), Manny Schecter (IBM), Derek Slater (Google), Baskut Tuncak (Center for International Environmental Law). Moderated by Dr. Victoria Stodden (Columbia University).

Unconference Participants

Claude Aiken (FCC)
Kristin Antin (New Tactics in Human Rights)
Patricia Aufderheide (Center for Social Media, American University)
Jonah Bossewitch (Columbia University Center for New Media Teaching and Learning)
Jonathan Band (policybandwidth)
Fred Benenson (Kickstarter)
Nicholas Bramble (Information Society Project, Yale Law School)
Andrea Casillas (Peer To Patent, New York Law School)
Bryan Choi (Information Society Project, Yale Law School)
Sara Crager (Universities Allied for Essential Medicines)
Kenneth Crews (Copyright Advisory Office, Columbia University Libraries)
Laura DeNardis (Information Society Project, Yale Law School)
Niva Elkin-Koren (Faculty of Law, University of Haifa)
Eric Faden (Bucknell University)
Perry Fetterman (Information Society Project, Yale Law School)
Karl Fogel (QuestionCopyright.org)
Leanne Gabinelli (The Public Index, New York Law School)
Ethan Guillen (Universities Allied for Essential Medicines)
Lital Helman (Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts, Columbia Law School)
C. Scott Hemphill (Columbia Law School)
Jonathan Hill (Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, Pace University)
Adam Holofcener (University of Maryland School of Law)
Dan Hunter (Institute for Information Law & Policy, New York Law School)
Amy Kapczynski (UC Berkeley School of Law)
Molly Land (Institute for Information Law & Policy, New York Law School)
David Levine (Elon University School of Law)
Amanda Levendowski (New York University School of Law)
Joly MacFie (New York Greater Metropolitan Area Chapter of the Internet Society)
Beth Simone Noveck (White House Deputy CTO)
Nina Paley (Parsons School of Design)
Nelson Pavlosky (Students for Free Culture)
Frank Pasquale (Seton Hall University School of Law)
Catherine Rhodes (Institute for Science, Ethics, and Innovation, University of Manchester School of Law)
Judit Ruis (Knowledge Ecology International)
Manny Schecter (IBM)
Jason Schultz (Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, UC Berkeley School of Law)
Stephen Schultze (Center for Information Technology Policy, Princeton University)
Lea Shaver (Hofstra Law School)
Derek Slater (Google)
Drew Smith (The Public Index, New York Law School)
Jason Summerfield (Finkelstein & Virga)
William Stock (IBM)
Victoria Stodden (Columbia University)
Elizabeth Townsend Gard (Center for Intellectual Property Law and Culture, Tulane Law School)
Baskut Tuncak (Center for International Environmental Law)
Shane Wagman (Cardozo Law School)
Mark Webbink (Center for Patent Innovations, New York Law School)
Lindsey Weeramuni (MIT OpenCourseWare)
Christopher Wong (Institute for Information Law & Policy, New York Law School)
Glover Wright (Centre for Internet and Society)
Kyoko Yoshinaga (Information Society Project, Yale Law School)
Peter Yu (Intellectual Property Law Center, Drake University Law School)