Intellectual Property and Innovation Law program

We undertake research in the global governance of intellectual property, innovation, international trade, and sustainable development.

We explore the international legal response to issues such as:

• intellectual property and international trade
• electronic commerce and the digital economy
• access to essential medicines
• plain packaging of tobacco products
• climate change
• the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• food security, access to genetic resources, and biodiversity.

Theme leaders: Professor Matthew Rimmer, Mrs Anne Matthew & Dr Rowena Maguire

We consider how well intellectual property law works for the people it purports to regulate: creators, inventors, intermediaries, companies, and users.

Our research includes:

• copyright law and creative communities
• trademark law and consumer rights
• new challenges in patent law
• intermediary liability
• Indigenous intellectual property
• trade secrets.

Theme leader: Dr Kylie Pappalardo

We explore freedom of speech, privacy and human rights in a digital age.

Our work includes research on:

• human rights obligations of platforms
• privacy, surveillance and encryption
• pathways to ethical data.

Theme leaders: Dr Monique Mann, Associate Professor Nicolas Suzor & Associate Professor Mark Burdon

We explore the regulation of emerging and disruptive technologies. Our research cuts across a variety of areas of law including sector-specific regulation, intellectual property law, competition, human rights and criminal law.

Areas of interest include:

• 3D printing regulation
• self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles
• robotics and artificial intelligence
• biometrics and surveillance technologies
• the life sciences
• Bitcoin, blockchain, and financial technologies.

Theme leader: Professor Kieran Tranter (from 2019), Dr Monique Mann & Professor Matthew Rimmer

We study models for the production, distribution, and stewardship of information that can help ensure that all people have access to the wealth of human knowledge and the capabilities to participate in culture.

Our research focuses on:

• open access publishing
• open education
• open data
• open innovation.

Theme leader: Associate Professor Nicolas Suzor