The Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts was established to contribute to a broader understanding of the legal aspects of creative works of authorship, including their dissemination and use.
The Kernochan Center's 4th Annual Art Law Symposium, "Censorship in the Visual Arts: Who Controls the Narrative?" focuses on the effects of censorship on the arts, in past and present. Speakers include artist and NYU professor Karen Finley; artist, author and professor at the Cooper Union School of Art Coco Fusco; Anne Pasternak, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Museum; Professor Amy Adler of NYU; Michael Famighetti, Editor in Chief of Aperature Magzine; Susan Meiselas, photographer and president of The Magnum Foundation; Renee Romano, Professor of Museum Studies at CUNY, and Lee Rowland, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship. For more details, please visit the symposium page.
Registration is required for members of the public. Register now.
The Kernochan Center's Annual Horace S. Manges Lecture, "Performers’ Rights: International, UK and US Law," will be delivered April 13, 2026, at 6:45 PM, by the Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Richard Arnold, Judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. A reception will follow.
Performers' rights are the Cinderella of intellectual property law, still impoverished and awaiting proper recognition. This seems surprising in a country with an entertainment industry as large and vibrant as that of the USA. This lecture will examine the international legal framework concerning performers' rights, outline the extensive UK regime and contrast the lack of provision in current US law.
Registration required for members of the public. Register now.
Spring Events
The Kernochan Center is pleased to present our events for the Spring Semester, including the Horace S. Manges Lecture and the Spring Speaker Series. Please check back for the most up-to-date information on the events.
Open Now: Hon. William C. Conner Writing Competition
The New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA) presents the Honorable William Conner Writing Competition. The competition was established to recognize exceptionally written papers that are submitted by law students and is presented each year at the Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner.
For the Conner Writing Competition submission requirements, please see this NYIPLA-hosted PDF. The Winner will receive a cash award of $3,000.00 and the Runner-up will receive a cash award of $2,000.00. The deadline is March 6, 2026. For past winners, please visit the competition's main page.
The Third Annual U.S.-Asia Comparative Copyright Law Symposium: Artificial Intelligence and Copyright Law
On December 13 and 14, 2025, the Kernochan Center co-sponsored the third annual U.S.-Asia Comparative Copyright Law Symposium at Waseda University in Tokyo. This symposium brings together scholars, industry leaders, and government representatives from around the world to discuss comparative approaches to the intersection of artificial intelligence and copyright law.
The first day of the symposium featured three panels, exploring the interaction of deepfakes and intellectual property law, governmental perspectives on AI, and a dialogue between industry stakeholders. Professor Balganesh moderated one panel and Professor Ginsburg presented on another. Kernochan Center faculty, along with other academics, participated in a roundtable on the second day of the conference.
Symposium - Deepfakes: In Search of Global Solutions
On Friday, October 24, 2025, in collaboration with the Columbia-Sorbonne Alliance, the Kernochan Center's annual symposium examined the problems created by AI-generated deepfakes and analyzed domestic and international IP laws in search of potential solutions. Scholars and industry leaders from the United States, the European Union, and the Commonwealth considered the adequacy of current IP frameworks to address deepfakes, the role of transparency obligations, and potential enforcement and liability mechanisms.
The Visual Arts Infringement Database
On Monday, March 3, Megan Noh, partner at Pryor Cashman LLP, introduced the launch of the Visual Arts Infringement Database, a resource that will illuminate issues and cases in visual arts infringement for students, lawyers, and artists alike. The Visual Arts Infringement Database is made possible by the generosity of Arnold D. Burke '55.