Faculty Spotlight

The American Law Institute has appointed Lydia Loren, Robert E. Jones Professor of Advocacy & Ethics, an Associate Reporter for the first Restatement of Law, Copyright.

The American Law Institute (ALI) is the leading independent organization in the United States working to clarify, modernize and improve the law. Restatements aim at clear formulations of the law and its statutory elements or variations, and reflect the law as it presently stands or might plausibly be stated by a court.  The Restatements of the Law and other projects are highly influential in the courts, legislatures and legal education.

As explained by Richard Revesa, ALI Director, “When we are considering projects, we look for areas of law where ALI can provide the most benefit to judges, lawmakers, and practitioners.”  Copyright is an area of vital importance in our country.

“Working on the first restatement of copyrights is an opportunity to provide synthesized guidance on an area of law that is critically important to the global information economy. I look forward to contributing to this valuable and important project.” -Professor Lydia Loren.

To develop a Restatement of copyright law Professor Loren will work with Reporter, Christopher Sprigman of New York University, and Associate Reporters Daniel Gervais of Vanderbilt Law School, Molly Van Houweling of Berkeley Law, and R. Anthony Reese of University of California, Irvine,.  Their work will ultimately provide guidance on the scope of the exclusive rights granted by copyright; copyright “formalities”; the rules governing ownership and transfer of copyrights; the duration of copyright;  the standard for copyright infringement; rules regarding the circumvention of copyright protection systems; defenses to copyright infringement, including the first sale limitation and fair use; and remedies, including actual and statutory damages,  attorneys’ fees, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief; and criminal penalties.