Cathay Smith

I feel like I should add: This isn't just an IPLAC event. This event will be hosted by--and began as a program organized by students at--Loyola Law School Chicago.

If you’re in the D.C.-area on Thursday (Feb 12), and love nature or copyright law, come hear my talk @gwlaw.bsky.social! Details below 🐛

Join us for the first GWCLT Speaker Series of the semester: Professor @cathaysmith.bsky.social of @chicagokentlaw.bsky.social on “Copyrighting Nature”—when copyright should protect or exclude works created by nature, duplicating nature, or inspired by it. Lunch provided!

Same. ⬇️

You can pry my em dashes out of my cold dead hands.

reading The Lost Queen by Signe Pike (historic fiction set in 6th century Scotland) & watching Bridgerton ☺️

History Lesson by Zoe Wallbrook - an academic murder mystery!

Hundreds protested in the Loop tonight in the snow and frigid cold as part of a nationwide shutdown in response to federal immigration raids, and fatal shootings by federal agents, in Minneapolis.
Read the full story soon @ blockclubchicago.org

📍 Chicago
#OnAssignment for @blockclubchi.bsky.social

the cover for our patent book, which is turquoise blue and decorated with a repeating pattern of patent drawings of an old-timey school bench-chair combo

Version 2 of our open-access patent casebook is now available!

- Free PDF copy available here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

- Low-cost print copy available here: a.co/d/8vpSEQi

And if you'd like to assign just one day on designs, we've got a supplement for that: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

A disgruntled Toad decides he's had enough of snow and winter. From "Down the Hill" In *Frog and Toad All Year*

“Winter may be beautiful, but bed is much better.”

Puffery of the day, no reasonable consumer edition (h/t @zacharyschrag.bsky.social ) (FWIW my students tend to divide on Leonard v. Pepsico; maybe not with this one)

Intellectual Property Law Founded more than 25 years ago, Chicago-Kent's Intellectual Property Law Program is one of the strongest in the country, reflecting and anticipating the ever-changing nature and challenges of the

It's an exciting time to be doing IP at @chicagokentlaw.bsky.social!

For a taste of what's been going on, check out our newsletter: kentlaw.iit.edu/sites/defaul...

You can learn more about our Top-10 IP program here: kentlaw.iit.edu/law/academic...

The underlying work is part of Hiroshi Nagai’s Beachcomber series. Likely used without the artist’s authorization or consent.

Oh my god.

In the wake of this news from UNC, I'm seeing some talk about copyright ownership and faculty scholarship.

If you're interested in the topic, here's a good explainer from from @authorsalliance.bsky.social:

Huge thank you to the fabulous Prof. @kristelia.bsky.social for the kind and thoughtful #JOTWELL review of my forthcoming article, Copyrighting Nature.

I had so much fun writing this paper! 🪼 🦀 🪲 🦖 (draft article available here: lnkd.in/gASYd5_c)

Thank you! 🙏🏼

true... but maybe better than over-enforcement? 😉

congrats. your post brought all the copyright nerds to the yard.

I'm more comfortable with the King court's ruling that the use was "commercial" where he simply reposted the meme/work (without any changes or added meaning) with a link to "fund our memes" on campaign $ site. I don't agree with the Henley court's finding of commercial use

adding my 🐢🐢: most political uses of copyrighted works are considered noncommercial, but not all! In both Henley v. DeVore (Boys of Summer) and Griner v. King (Success Kid meme), courts found uses to solicit campaign donations (exploiting (c) material) w/o paying customary price = commercial use

All too often, it feels like law students think "the law" is a settled thing that profs can simply relay to them. But it's not. Especially in IP it's not. It's constantly changing and evolving.

Statement from Kids Can Press publisher of Franklin the Turtle

🔥 BREAKING: A spokesperson for Kids Can Press, the publisher of the Franklin the Turtle books, messaged me today about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth using the likeness and image from the books to make light of killings in the Caribbean in his post yesterday on X.

"In a November 2025 guidance, new USPTO Director John Squires has rejected the Vidal approach and instead established a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy for AI-assisted inventions creates a presumption of human inventorship so long as any natural person is willing to sign the oath."

I just wrote “death becomes copyright” and “Aristotle, blah blah blah” in the same paper, which is probabky a sign that it’s time for me to take a short break 😅

lol. nice.

‘This is fascist America’: Anish Kapoor may sue after border agents pose by his sculpture Artist says ‘military style’ raids in US are ‘beyond belief’ while discussing new Southbank show next year

"The artist Anish Kapoor is considering taking legal action after border patrol agents posed for a photo in front of his Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago, saying the scene represented 'fascist America.'"

US firefighter detained on the job speaks out after deportation: ‘I feel betrayed’ Exclusive: Border patrol arrested José Bertin Cruz-Estrada while he was battling a wildfire in Washington. He is now in Mexico, separated from his family in Oregon

NEW: The US has deported a longtime Oregon firefighter who was arrested by Border Patrol while deployed at a major wildfire in Washington state.

José Bertin Cruz-Estrada, separated from his family, is speaking out from Mexico for the first time:

“I feel betrayed ... What am I going to do now?"

Willamette is hiring for a tenure-track assistant professor of law position; there's more info at the link!

If you are on the market, I highly recommend that you apply. I've been at Willamette a few months now and absolutely love it here.

willamette.wd501.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Willam...