One of my main research interests is the area of artificial intelligence and law (notably, intellectual property law). Therefore, I was involved in several projects related to artificial intelligence, including:

• Organisation of the interdisciplinary conference “Innov-AI-tion Law for Technology 4.0” (financed by a Collaborative Projects grant awarded by the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University and by SWOL)
• Research Project on AI and Patents, carried out in and with the support of the Institute of Intellectual Property of Japan
• Supervision of an interdisciplinary bachelor’s project on the topic “Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property”, which gathered students from Economics, Law, Psychology, and Knowledge Engineering
• Invited guest at the Global Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Inclusion (November 2017), in representation of the Institute for Globalisation and International Regulation (IGIR) 

3D printing now permits people with visual impairments (PVI) to experience 3D reproductions of paintings and photographs through touch. A few institutions have undertaken projects facilitating this, thus granting PVI an equal opportunity to experience visual art, and enhancing their human rights to participate in the cultural life of the community and enjoy the arts.

However, 3D reproductions may infringe copyright. Many copyright systems include certain exceptions to infringement that facilitate access to copyright works by PVI, but laws tend to focus on access to literary works; the application of disability exceptions to visual art is unclear. It is also often obscure whether current laws are technology-neutral, and able to encompass contemporary digital practices within the scope of exceptions to infringement. The lack, inadequacy, or uncertainty of exceptions to infringement of copyright may hamper sensory art projects and reduce inclusivity and equity in cultural engagement by PVI.

This project, carried out in collaboration with Prof. Jani McCutcheon from the University of Western Australia, undertook to map disability exceptions worldwide, and to reach an understanding of the status quo from the point of view of copyright law, disability law and art law, with the future goal of recommending a harmonisation of the topic under public international law, considering all the interests concerned (artists, PVI, museums).

With the joint efforts of Prof. McCutcheon, Prof. Hildegard Schneider (Maastricht University, Prof. Lisa Waddington (Maastricht University), and myself, a workshop on this topic took place in Maastricht in June 2018. The workshop is sponsored by a Collaborative Projects grant from the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University, and by SWOL. You can find the final programme of the workshop here. A detailed report of the first part of the workshop can be found here.

Jean Monnet module “Intellectual Property in the Digital Single Market”

I created this module with the goal of supporting the understanding of EU intellectual property (IP) as a central element of the Digital Single Market (DSM) and more broadly of EU integration. The module is currently being taught at Maastricht University.

The module first familiarizes students with general IP areas and principles, which will then enable them to engage in the more specialized guest lectures which will deal with specific IP issues in the DSM, such as the regime and liability of information society providers. Besides lectures and specialized lectures, the module is comprised of practical seminars, which cover the application of lecture content to practical cases, and a final mock-trial based on a real-case scenario.

Research informs teaching activities, and the pedagogic approach will be problem-based learning (PBL), an interactive teaching method where problems create the context for the acquisition of knowledge and problem-solving skills. Students gain greater awareness of the DSM, while being able to frame IP as a relevant element therein. Students will also acquire expertise in substantive IP law. Materials here.

When I was in Maastricht University, I created the Indie Art Legal Clinic as a means to provide pro-bono advice to independent artists (visual artists, musicians, performers, street artists, etc.). Artists send their questions in advance, and make an appointment for a face-to-face consultation. The advice is given by mixed teams of both master and bachelor students. Students work together by identifying the problem, researching possible solutions and issuing a report with the proposed solution, all under supervision of a faculty member and an experienced lawyer. The face-to-face consultation with the client on the day of the appointment is made under the supervision of either the faculty member and/or a lawyer as well.

The Clinic provides students with a hands-on experience in intellectual property through client counselling, thereby encouraging students to delve deeper into the learned material and giving them the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real-life cases.

The training provided in the Clinic is also able to fuel a more intense engaging with course materials. Moreover, the Clinic serves as a platform of communication: pairing master- with bachelor students furthers education goals by integrating different levels of education within the same project. Bachelor students get extra guidance from master students, and they can have a sneak peak of what a masters in intellectual property would offer them; master students get extra experience in training more junior colleagues. At the same time, the Clinic connects students with local artists and thereby inspires more cross-disciplinary work.

In addition to providing students with practical training, the Clinic meets existing needs of Limburg-based artists. Maastricht in particular has a vibrant art scene that is promoted by numerous events throughout the year, such as TEFAF, the CrossCurrents Festival, the WE Festival or the PAS Festival. Several artistic schools and centres (the Van Eyck Academy, the Conservatorium Maastricht, the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Kumulus) generate numerous young creatives who might stumble upon a variety of legal questions on their path to the professional world. The Clinic thus contributes to support Maastricht as a thriving hub of independent artistic productions.

More details on the Clinic can be found here.

I have taught different intellectual property courses and/or classes in other institutions, including:

One week course on Intellectual Property, China EU School of Law at the China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China (2015, 2017)

Lecture on IP developments in Europe, Nagoya University, Japan (2017)

Lectures on recent IP developments in Europe, with focus on trademarks and the UPC, University of Melbourne and King & Wood Mallesons Sydney, Australia (2017)

Lecture on Recent Developments in Copyright Law, University of Warwick, United Kingdom (2017)

Lecture on Digital Copyright Law, Iustinianus Primus Law Faculty, Skopje, FYROM (2015)

In 2017, the EU and New Zealand signed a Partnership Agreement for Relations and Cooperation (PARC), which aimed at providing a comprehensive framework for bilateral relations between the two parties, and strengthening cooperation on a diverse range of areas, namely trade issues. The PARC is leading to negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which in turn should reduce existing barriers to trade and investment, and explore regulatory cooperation that takes into account key sensitive areas.

Under Article 21(1) of the PARC, both Parties recognize the importance of intellectual property (IP) rights and their enforcement. In addition, Article 21(3) states that “[t]he Parties agree to exchange information and promote dialogue on the protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore.”

This research project aimed to analyse the possible ways to implement Article 21 (or its equivalent version in the future FTA), taking into account (1) the policy objectives of protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore vis-à-vis the policy objectives of certain IP rights (e.g., geographical indications); and (2) the existing legal instruments in both jurisdictions. The project built on existing legal literature on intellectual property, trade and traditional knowledge.

This research project was supported by a  WUN grant, in collaboration with the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

I have undertaken projects of consultancy and commissioned research, for private and public institutions. Some past projects include:

Study on the Implementation of the Directive 2011/77/EU: copyright term of protection (with Aurelio Lopez-Tarruella) – 2018

Legal Review on Industrial Design Protection in Europe – country report Portugal – 2016

The legal aspects of copyright – The added value and options for further harmonization and efficiency of the EU Copyright regime, including the projected impact on other policy areas (briefing paper, co-written with A. Markowska & N. Meurens) – 2015

[/foundry_tabs_content][foundry_tabs_content icon=”” title=”Other Projects”]Other projects I am involved in include:

• The Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska Curie Action ITN-EJD EIPIN-Innovation Society (as a co-supervisor of two doctoral candidates)
• The Terra Mosana project
• The Street Art cities foundation
• The CIPnet Project (China Intellectual Property Management Network)