Amy Thomas

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PhD Topic

Who is a Copyright User? A sociological perspective

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Biography

Amy Thomas is a Research and Teaching Associate at the University of Glasgow School of Law / CREATe centre and is currently researching her PhD thesis (CMS/CREATe collaborative scholarship). Her research mainly focuses on the relationship between copyright, usership and private ordering systems, though she also has interests in copyright-related aspects of video games and eSports. Amy acts as the sub-editor for the Copyright Evidence Wiki, collating empirical research relating to copyright.

Research Interests

Conferences and talks
  • CREATe Symposium 2019: Emerging Researchers’ Workshop, University of Glasgow “The Concept of User in End-User Licensing Agreements” (8 October 2019)
  • Postgraduate Conference, University of Liverpool “The Concept of User in End-User Licensing Agreements” (9 September 2019)
  • BILETA, Queen’s University (Belfast) “EULAs in eSports and video game streaming: copyright as a new commercial imperitive for game owners” (15 April 2019)
  • Learning on Screen Using Other People’s Stuff, Dundee V&A “The Fortnite Dancing Debate: cultural borrowing or creative stealing?” (26 March 2019)
  • IP Discussion Group, University of Oxford “Private ordering and the origins of the digital user” (27 November 2018)
  • Postgraduate Conference, University of Strathclyde “eSports as Traditional Sports: Consequences for Copyright” (28 September 2018)
  • Intellectual Property Researchers Europe, University of Geneva/WIPO/WTO “The Concept and Myth of the Digital User in Copyright Law” (29 June 2018)
Research Assistance
  • Copyright Evidence Wikipedia (2017 – present) – Sub-editor
  • Freedom of panorama: making copyright law (in)visible (Carnegie Research Trust) (June 2019 – February 2020) – Conducting rights clearance simulation, literature and doctrinal analysis
  • EU Copyright Reform - Research assistance relating to negotiation phase of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market.
  • Open Access Tracking Project - Sourcing and tagging of open access related news.
  • OpenAIRE - Creation of checklist tool designed to ensure digital repository compatibility with open access principles.
  • OpenMinTeD - Open licence annotation integrated into text and data mining compatibility matrix.

Teaching

  • Teaching Assistant, Copyright X (affiliated course offered by Harvard Law School) (2018 – Present)
  • Course Convener, Intellectual Property Law (CCPR, Masters), University of Glasgow (Spring 2020)
  • Intellectual Property Law Lecturer, Law for Engineers (Undergraduate), University of Glasgow (Spring 2020)
  • Guest Lecturer, Pre-sessional Law (Masters), University of Glasgow (Winter 2019)
  • Guest Lecturer, Intellectual Property Law (Masters), University of Strathclyde (Spring 2019)
  • Guest Lecturer, Contemporary Issues in IP (LLM), University of Glasgow (Spring 2019)
  • Workshop Presenter, “Securing your Intellectual Creations”, Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities Summer School (20 June 2018)

Awards

  • PhD Scholarship in legal aspects of data and digital innovation at School of Law, in collaboration with international law firm CMS and CREATe, the RCUK copyright centre (2017)
  • Certificates of academic excellence in Competition, Environmental, and Criminal Prejudice and Discrimination Law (University of Stirling, LLB, 2010 – 2014)

Publications

Journal articles 
  • Thomas, A. (2019), Meese, James, Authors, Users, and Pirates: Copyright Law and Subjectivity, Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2018, 240pp, hb $35.00/£27.00.. The Modern Law Review, 82: 1197-1201. doi:1111/1468-2230.12454
Blog posts (selected)

Additional Information

Academic achievements
  • LLB Law (Stirling University) First Class (Hons) (2010-2014) (achieving three certificates of academic excellence in Competition, Environmental, and Criminal Prejudice and Discrimination Law)
  • HNC Social Sciences (Ayr College) (2009-2010) (incl. Sociology, Psychology, Criminology and Research Methodology) 
Employment history
  • Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Glasgow (Nov. 2019 – Present)
  • Paralegal, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP (2015-2017)