Art Law Conference 2026: What is Copy, Right?

Copyright in the 21st Century. How did we get here? Whats new in the field thanks to or despite of AI? What comes next?

Center for Art Law will host its Annual Art Law Conference on May 27, 2026 in person at Brooklyn Law School and online via Zoom.

The 2026 conference will focus on copyright law as it relates to visual art, artificial intelligence, and the rapidly evolving legal landscape of the 21st century. The program will begin with a keynote address, followed by three substantive panels designed to build on one another throughout the afternoon. In addition, we will host a curated group of exhibitors featuring databases, legal tools, and technology platforms relevant to artists’ rights, copyright, and AI. The program will conclude with a reception, providing time for continued discussion, networking, and engagement among speakers, exhibitors, and attendees.

The opening panel will examine the current state of copyright law in the visual arts and the practical challenges facing artists, galleries, institutions, and practitioners. Subsequent panels will address artificial intelligence, recent legislative and regulatory developments, the role of the U.S. Copyright Office, and emerging questions around licensing, enforcement, and appropriation in a contemporary digital environment.

The conference convenes artists, attorneys, scholars, collectors, arts administrators, students, and policy professionals for in-depth and timely discussion, and will be accompanied by a silent auction and exhibitor networking opportunities.

Tentative Schedule and Agenda:

11:30 AM – Check-in opens

12:00 – 12:10 PM – Opening Remarks

12:10 – 12:40 PM – Keynote Address by Ben Zhao, Neubauer Professor of Computer Science at University of Chicago and Founder, Nightshade & Glaze

12:45 – 2:00 PM – Panel 1: So Inappropriate — Lessons About Copyright Law and Art: First There Was Art, Then Copyright, Then Fair Use… and Now AI?

From early copyright doctrines to contemporary fair use debates, this panel examines how artists and lawyers have navigated questions of ownership, appropriation, and originality in visual art. Panelists will explore key developments in copyright law affecting traditional artistic practices, from borrowing and remixing to transformative use, while also considering how emerging technologies, including AI, are beginning to reshape long‑standing legal frameworks and artistic norms.

Moderator: Irina Tarsis, Founder, Center for Art Law

Speakers: Vivek Jayaram, Founder, Jayaram Law; Vincent Wilcke, Pace Gallery; Greg Allen, Artist and writer

2:00 – 2:15 PM – Remarks from our Sponsors

2:15 – 2:30 PM – Break

2:30 – 3:45 PM – Panel 2: The Copyright Office Weighs In — Three Reports on AI and the Law

This panel examines the U.S. Copyright Office’s three recent reports on artificial intelligence and copyright, unpacking what they clarify, and what they leave unresolved about authorship, ownership, and protection in the age of AI. Panelists will also situate these reports within the broader legal landscape, touching on emerging litigation and contested issues shaping how AI‑generated and AI‑assisted works are treated under current copyright law.

Moderator: Atreya Mathur, Director of Legal Research, Center for Art Law

Speakers: Ben Zhao, Neubauer Professor of Computer Science at University of Chicago and Founder, Nightshade & Glaze

3:45 – 4:00 PM – Break

4:00 – 5:15 PM – Panel 3: Registration Is Dead? Long Live Licensing?

As copyright enforcement becomes more complex, this panel explores the evolving role of registration and the growing importance of licensing agreements in protecting creative works. Panelists will discuss how artists, rights holders, and legal practitioners navigate enforcement today, examining when registration still matters, how licensing structures are being used strategically, and what effective rights management looks like in a shifting legal and art market landscape.

Moderator: Carol J. Steinberg, Art, Copyright & Entertainment Law Attorney, Faculty, School of Visual Arts

Speakers: Janet Hicks, Vice President and Director of Licensing, Artists Rights Society; Yayoi Shionoiri, art lawyer and Vice President of External Affairs and General Counsel at Powerhouse Art; Martin Cribbs, Intellectual Property Licensing Strategist

5:15 – 5:30 PM – Closing Remarks by Lindsay Korotkin, Partner, ArentFox Schiff

5:30 – 7:00 PM – Networking Reception and Silent Auction Results (Only In-Person not on Zoom)

Substantive portion of the program is pending 3 CLE credits approval.

VENUE FOR IN-PERSON:

FORCHELLI CENTER AT BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL
(22nd Floor)205 State St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Exhibitors and Sponsors: If you are interested in being a sponsor for the event or an exhibitor at the event, please contact us: artlawteam@itsartartlaw.org.

Please note the event is HYBRID and will be both in-person at Brooklyn Law School and online via Zoom.