Evil Twin Debate
The Intellectual Property Institute's Evil Twin Debate Series is founded on the notion that experts are often at loggerheads on important issues of IP policy, yet remain friendly on a personal level. The series therefore brings together pairs of scholars who disagree on an important IP topic, but who can air their disagreements in a friendly exchange—serious in substance but lighthearted in tone.
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2025 Debate - The PTO Meets the New Admin Law
The 2025 Evil Twin Debate took place on January 31, 2025, at the WIPIP conference hosted by UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law. It featured Melissa Wasserman of University of Texas and Saurabh Vishnubhakat of Cardozo, debating the topic “Patent Office Power in the New Agency Landscape: Under Pressure or Crazy Train?”
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2024 Debate - Free Speech or Free Riding
The 2024 Evil Twin Debate took place on February 1, 2024, before the WIPIP conference in Santa Clara, California. It featured Lisa Ramsey of University of San Diego and Jake Linford of Florida State debating the topic, Free Speech or Free Riding: Does the First Amendment Trump Trademark Law?
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2023 Debate - ChatGPT
“ChatGPT: Pandora’s Box or Box of Chocolates?” took place on Friday, Feb. 3 at the 2023 Works in Progress for Intellectual Property Scholars Colloquium at Suffolk. The debate featured “Evil Twins” Zahr Said (University of Washington School of Law) and Bruce Boyden (Marquette University Law School).
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2022 Debate - Efficient Infringement
The 15th Annual Evil Twin debate, brought to you by the University of Richmond School of Law’s Intellectual Property Institute, took place at St. Louis University School of Law at the 2022 Works-in-Progress in IP (WIPIP) conference. Jorge Contreras (Presidential Scholar and Professor of Law, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law) and Richmond’s very own Kristen Osenga (Austin E. Owen Research Scholar and Professor of Law, University of Richmond School of Law), debated “Efficient Infringement: Awful or Awesome?”. The discussion centered on when, and whether, patent infringement can ever be “efficient”.
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2021 Debate - Food Fight! Copyrightable or Simply Edible?
"Food Fight! Copyrightable or Simply Edible?" took place virtually on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at the AALS Annual Conference. The debate featured "evil twins" Ann Bartow (University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law) and Cathay Y. N. Smith (University of Montana Blewett School of Law).
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2020 Debate - Going Private: Can the Law be Owned?
"Going Private: Can the Law be Owned?" took place on Saturday, January 4, 2020, at the AALS Annual Conference in Washington D.C. The debate featured "evil twins" Christopher S. Yoo (Penn Law) and Shyam Balganesh (Penn Law).
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2019 Debate - PTOs Role in Patent Validity
"Death Squad or Rubber Stamp? The PTO’s Role in Patent Validity" took place on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at the AALS Annual Conference in New Orleans. The debate featured "evil twins" Arti Rai (Duke University) and F. Scott Kieff (George Washington University Law School).
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2018 Debate - Is the Defend Trade Secrets Act Defensible?
On January 5, 2018, Richmond Law School’s Intellectual Property Institute presented the Eleventh Annual Evil Twin Debate featuring Orly Lobel (San Diego Law School) and Michael Risch (Villanova Law School) debating "Is the Defend Trade Secrets Act Defensible?" -
2017 Debate - Free Speech or Free to Reject?: Trademark Registration & the First Amendment
The 10th Annual Evil Twin Debate, sponsored by the University of Richmond School of Law and the AALS IP Section, was held at Golden Gate University Law School. This year’s debate was entitled "Free Speech or Free to Reject?: Trademark Registration & the First Amendment,” and featured “evil twins” Mark Lemley (Stanford Law School) and Rebecca Tushnet (Georgetown Law Center).
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2016 Debate - Protecting APIs: Copyright or Copywrong
The 2016 Debate, "Protecting APIs: Copyright or Copywrong" - with debaters Pamela Samuelson and Randy Picker. This debate took place on Saturday, January 9 at the New York Hilton Midtown during the Association of American Law Schools Conference. Hosted by the University of Richmond School of Law and co-sponsored by the AALs IP Section
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2014 Debate - IP at the Supreme Court: Guidance or Garbage?
In 2014, we featured Professor John Golden of the University of Texas School of Law and Professor Tim Holbrook of Emory University School of Law, debating the topic IP at the Supreme Court: Guidance or Garbage? The debate took place at noon on Friday, November 21, 2014, in the moot courtroom at Richmond Law. The debate was open to the public, and a Q&A and reception followed the debate (also included in the recording below).
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2013 Debate - Design Patents: Great Idea, or Greatest Idea?
On November 15, 2013. Professor Mark Janis of Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Professor Andrew Torrance of University of Kansas School of Law debated the topic Design Patents: Great Idea, or Greatest Idea?
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2012 Debate - TRIPS: Too Far or Not Far Enough?
On September 22, 2012, as part of the IP Institute’s conference on Global IP Enforcement in Washington, DC, Professor Rochelle Dreyfuss of NYU School of Law and Robert Armitage, general counsel of Eli Lilly & Co debated the topic TRIPS: Too Far or Not Far Enough?
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2011 Debate - Drug Settlements: Patently Anticompetitive?
On November 18, 2011, Professor Daniel Crane of University of Michigan Law School and Professor Michael Carrier of Rutgers University School of Law, Camden debated the topic Drug Settlements: Patently Anticompetitive?
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2010 Debate - The Google Books Settlement: Standing Copyright on Its Head?
On November 5, 2010, attorney and policy expert Jonathan Band of policybandwidth.com and Professor James Grimmelmann of New York Law School debated the topic The Google Books Settlement: Standing Copyright on Its Head?
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2009 Debate - Bilski and Patentable Subject Matter: Method or Madness?
On October 9, 2009, Professor John Duffy of George Washington University Law School and Professor Jay Thomas of Georgetown University Law Center debated the topic Bilski and Patentable Subject Matter: Method or Madness?
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2008 Debate - Is a Trademark Use Requirement Useless?
On April 4, 2008, Professor Stacey Dogan of Boston University School of Law and Professor Mark McKenna of University of Notre Dame Law School debated the topic Is a Trademark Use Requirement Useless?
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2007 Debate - Is Intellectual Property "Property"? Pharmaceutical Patents and Regulatory Takings
The inaugural debate took place on February 2, 2007. The Evil Twins were Professor Shubha Ghosh of University of Wisconsin Law School and Professor Adam Mossoff of George Mason University School of Law. They debated the topic, Is Intellectual Property "Property"? Pharmaceutical Patents and Regulatory Takings.
