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

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....

“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)

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)

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.

🔥 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 😅

"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.'"

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...

Please join me in congratulating Woman on her appointment

IP Law Profs: Check your email inboxes for an invitation (via IPProfs) to the 2025 Chicagoland IP Workshop, which will be held at Chicago-Kent on December 5. We hope you can join us!

ICE boats trawling the Chicago River. This is the DUMBEST thing I've seen in my entire life. No exaggeration. What's next? Humvees loaded with armed, masked agents patrolling Disney's Main Street U.S.A.? #Chicago

Transformative work of the day, I would love to get back to IP law edition

Beautiful sunny weekend in Chicago. Block parties with families, farmer markets with adorable dogs (and their humans🐶), and free world-class opera in the park. I am so lucky to live in this City. ❤️ #Chicago

Thinking a bit this morning about the idea of utility and legal scholarship. We often hear that our work is not "useful to the bar," but what exactly does that mean? Useful to who? And when? And for what purpose?

Enjoyed talking to @aanteau.bsky.social about Judge Kness' big #ScheduleA decision:

Honored to have my work cited by Judge Kness in a decision that concludes: "[T]he Schedule A mechanism should no longer be perpetuated in its present form." Eicher Motors Ltd, v. Schedule A, Defendants., No. 1:25-CV-02937, 2025 WL 2299593, at *1 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 8, 2025). #ScheduleA

🤓 Slightly diminish a band: Some Doubt

What's going on in the world of dupes, & how do these rapid-fire copies interact with the law? Fascinating @theverge.com piece with great quotes & analysis from two top experts: @lexlanham.bsky.social & @design-law.bsky.social www.theverge.com/cs/features/... #dupes #academia #fashion

6/14/25💪 #Missoula #MT 🇺🇸

Beautiful day in Missoula, Montana #NoKings

Missoula

BREAKING: In a 6–1 decision, the Montana Supreme Court strikes down several abortion restrictions passed by the state legislature. Opinion: juddocumentservice.mt.gov/getDocByCTra...

Here's our exciting line-up:

Announcing the inaugural Chicago-Kent IP Summer Camp Online Workshop Series! Join us from the beach, by the pool, in your tent, or anywhere for a series of Zoom workshops featuring scholars from across the IP spectrum. Sign up for updates here: forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

Save the date: The Chicago-Kent Law Review will be hosting a symposium on #ScheduleA litigation (edited by me) on Friday, 9/26/25. The symposium will be held by Zoom and will be open to the public. Details TBA.

We’re so excited for Prof. @alexyelderman.bsky.social, who will be joining the @chicagokentlaw.bsky.social faculty this fall!! #WomenAlsoKnowLaw #WomenInAcademia

Here's the original job posting, if anyone is interested in details:

If any law profs in Ohio are interested in moving to Chicago, lmk.

Good news. I taught Feist in Property law this week and all of my 1Ls claim that they’ve seen an actual physical phone book (white pages and all) in real life.

"'Federal litigation is expensive. Due process is expensive. No one has a constitutional right to cost-effective – let alone profitable – IP enforcement litigation,' per Fackrell. 'But everyone has a constitutional right to due process, even if they are counterfeiters.'"

Just a reminder that requests to participate in this year's May M3 workshop are due tomorrow: