Symposium

On April 1, 2024, NYU’s Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law (JIPEL) will host our annual symposium “Strikes, Camera, Action: The Future of Entertainment in the Age of AI” in collaboration with the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy (NYU Law). The event is co-sponsored by the Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Society (IPELS) and Rights Over Tech.

RSVP for the Event Here.

The event will be hybrid: live-streamed via Zoom and hosted in person in the Lester Pollack Colloquium on the 9th Floor of Furman Hall (245 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012).

This year, JIPEL’s annual symposium will focus on the intersection of technology and the entertainment industry. Specifically, we aim to address how technology affects entertainment law by delving into the importance of key negotiating points and consequences of the SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and WGA (Writers Guild of America) strikes, as well as the current and expected uses of generative AI in entertainment in the context of labor law and right of publicity/likeness rights.

The event will bring together scholars and practitioners from several fields and perspectives, including experts in labor law, intellectual property, and Artificial Intelligence, as well as members of both unions.

The schedule, topics, and speakers of our symposium:

12:00 – 12:45pm: Lunch & Networking Session

12:45 – 1:30pm: Fireside Chat: History of Labor & Technology

  • Speakers:
    • Thomas Kochan, Professor of Management, Emeritus at MIT
    • Mark Gaston Pierce, Former Board Member and Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

1:30 – 2:30pm: Panel: AI & Its Effects on IP Rights

  • Moderator:
    • John Monterubio, Senior Counsel at Loeb & Loeb LLP
  • Panelists:
    • Matthew Bodie, Professor at University of Minnesota Law School
    • Amy Cyphert, Professor at West Virginia University
    • Justin Hughes, Professor at Loyola Law School
    • Ben Sheffner, Senior Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Law & Policy, at the Motion Picture Association
    • Danielle van Lier, Adjunct Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School, Assistant General Counsel, IP and Contracts, SAG-AFTRA

2:30 – 3:00pm: Break

3:00 – 5:00pm: Panel: SAG-AFTRA & WGA Strikes – Union Negotiations & AI

  • Moderator:
    • Olivia R. Singer, Partner at Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP
  • Panelists:
    • Ivy Kagan Bierman, Partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP
    • David Gunkel, Professor at Northern Illinois University
    • Ezra Knight, SAG-AFTRA New York Local President
    • David Offenberg, Professor at Loyola Marymount University
    • Danny Tolli, Member of WGA West, Inclusion & Equity Group
    • Justin Touretz, Associate General Counsel at SAG-AFTRA

Click here to download the symposium flyer with panel information.

If you have questions regarding CLE credits, please contact Marieme Diallo (mmd555@nyu.edu).