Past Event

Wednesday, November 6, 2002

Copyright or Copywrong? The Supreme Court, Copyright Term Extension, and The Arts

The case of Eldred v. Ashcroft, challenging the Constitutionality of the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, was argued before the United States Supreme Court on October 9, 2002. The Act extended copyright protection for an additional 20 years. Called the most important copyright case in many years, the case has split the arts community. Thirty-eight Friends of the Court briefs were filed for or against the Act. IFAR's five distinguished speakers discussed
the history and issues, as well as the implications for the arts community of the anticipated Supreme Court decision.

Franklin Feldman, Chair, IFAR Law Advisory Council, Co-Author, Art Law

Stephen E. Weil, Emeritus Senior Scholar, Center for Museum Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Co-Author, Art Law

Robert Baron, Chair, Committee on Intellectual Property, College Art Association

I. Fred Koenigsberg, White & Case LLP, NY, General Counsel, ASCAP

Alice Haemmerli, Columbia Law School, Dean, Graduate Legal Studies and International Programs