Sunday Surprises

[Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo]

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Sunday Surprises

Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo Sunday, March 22, 2026 - AI, AI training, Artificial Intelligence, events, IP News, Miscellany, opportunities, Sunday Surprises, TechieKat, Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo

The IPKat brings you the latest IP news, events, and opportunities!

Events

IFRRO & New York Law School: AI governance and copyright.

Merpel has been counting down to the tulip season!

The International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) and the New York Law School will hold the event ‘AI Governance and Copyright: Licensing the Path Forward?’ on 8 April 2026 in New York City. The event will address key legal and policy developments concerning Artificial Intelligence (AI), copyright, and licensing. IFRRO’s forthcoming AI Governance Guide, developed in collaboration with PermaKat Eleonora Rosati, will be presented. More information is available here.

JIPLP: 20^th anniversary celebration.

On 30 April 2026, a hybrid event (London and online) will be held to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice (JIPLP), published by Oxford University Press. The programme covers ‘IP, AI, and disruptive technologies – What’s next?’, and ‘The future of IP’. The keynote speaker is Sir Richard Arnold. Further details are here.

Opportunities

Call for Papers: EPIP Annual Conference 2026.

The European Policy for Intellectual Property Association (EPIP) is seeking submissions for its 21st Annual Conference, which will be held in Turin from 9 to 11 September 2026. The conference is hosted by Politecnico di Torino and is co-organized with the Bordeaux School of Economics (Université de Bordeaux). The overarching theme is ‘Intellectual Property and Innovation Policy in the New Global Economy’. The deadline for submissions is 26 April 2026. More information here.

UNWS: PhD scholarship.

UNSW Sydney will grant a PhD scholarship to a selected scholar whose proposed thesis topic addresses the intersection of copyright, AI, and the arts. The scholarship will start in June 2026 or February 2027. The selected candidate will liaise with the Arts Law Centre of Australia to support legal education for artists, with the aim of promoting more equitable partnerships between the industry and artists. The deadline for submissions is 13 April 2026. Further details here.

Other developments

UK: Report & Impact Assessment on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence.

The United Kingdom's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has published the Report & Impact Assessment on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence. The Report follows the government's consultation on how the UK’s legal framework for copyright and AI can support both the creative industries and AI. The first section of the report analyzes the four policy options on copyright and training of AI models, whilst subsequent sections examine aspects of copyright and AI training, including the regulatory framework (IPKat post on the Report here). The Impact Assessment was published along with the Report, as required by section 135 of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. More information is available here.

US: National Policy Framework on AI.

The White House has released its recommendations to Congress on a federal AI framework, with the aim of turning it into legislation and creating a single federal approach to regulating AI across the United States. The National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence addresses six key objectives, including respecting IP rights and supporting creators. In this sense, the Administration believes that AI training on copyrighted material is lawful but supports leaving the contrary arguments to the Courts, including whether such training constitutes fair use. It also suggests that Congress may enable collective rights systems or licensing frameworks for rights holders, without addressing whether or when such licensing is required. Then, it recommends establishing a federal framework to stop unauthorized AI-generated replicas of a person’s voice, likeness, or other identifiable attributes, while ensuring clear exceptions for satire, parody, news reporting, and other expressive works protected by the First Amendment; and finally, it urges Congress to keep monitoring the development of copyright precedents and enforcement in the Courts and consider further action if new AI-related copyright gaps emerge. Further details are here.

Image ‘Keukenhof’ by Verónica Rodríguez Arguijo.