The ILEO is currently engaged in the following projects:

• Copyright and Digital Constitutionalism: What Regulatory Framework for Ethical Innovation in the EU? 

This research project aims to map the existing fundamental rights relevant to creativity in the EU, with the goal of laying a constitutional foundation for a balanced and ethical legal framework for copyright law. More importantly, it aims to provide arguments for changes to current copyright law to better serve the goals of sustainable development and research in Europe. A significant part of the research project will also explore a new regulatory approach for copyright in the digital environment, examining the emergence of new independent institutional actors to safeguard fundamental rights online and to ensure that the legal framework for innovation respects the principle of sustainability.

• The intersection of intellectual property law and cultural heritage

The research project investigates new dynamics at the intersection of intellectual property and cultural heritage, as both have the potential to support and complement the enhancement of knowledge and the dissemination of culture and history. However, there is a need for further development and clarification of the legal framework for cultural heritage and its sustainable protection to ensure the advancement of a vibrant creative environment, particularly to prevent the undue misappropriation of elements in the public domain.

• Intellectual property law and sustainable development

Can the intellectual property system be considered inherently sustainable? Is it fostering sustainable innovation, or is it instead discouraging it?
The research project aims to outline the existing Intellectual Property regime in Europe, along with its role and implications for society. It will investigate whether—and to what extent—the current legal framework can be rethought to meet the needs of ethical and sustainable economic development.
More specifically, it explores the interaction between Intellectual Property Rights and Sustainability, providing arguments to support the importance of (new) ecologically sustainable IP tools to better meet the Sustainable Development Goals.