Institute of Intellectual Property & Social Justice

The mission of the Institute of Intellectual Property and Social Justice (IIPSJ) is to advance the political, social, and economic empowerment of historically disadvantaged and excluded groups through facilitating their creation, use, and exploitation of intellectual property.

IIPSJ was founded in 2002 to address the social justice implications of intellectual property law and practice both domestically and globally. IIPSJ's work ranges broadly and includes scholarly examination of intellectual property law from the social justice perspective; advocacy for social-justice aware interpretation, application, and revision of intellectual property law; efforts to increase the diversity of the those who practice IP law; and development of programs to empower historically and currently disadvantaged and under-included groups to exploit IP effectively.

IIPSJ's next major event is the IP Empowerment Summit scheduled for Fall 2010 (exact date tbd). IIPSJ is taking the lead in assembling a diverse group of people, including practicing lawyers, artists, community activists, governmental representatives, and others, to devise strategies for community development built around artistic works and technological innovation.

The 7th Annual IIPSJ CLE was successfully held on March 11-12, 2010. One of the highlights was a speech by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director David J. Kappos. Kappos' speech has been posted online for reading and download.