My research
Research interests
Fiona Macmillan's research is focused on the areas of intellectual property, cultural property and international economic law. Her work addresses the methods and consequences of law's commodification of creativity and knowledge. She has a particular interest in the ways in which business enterprises use intellectual property rights as a basis for entrenching power.
Research projects
AHRC Copyright Research Network
Fiona Macmillan was recently awarded an AHRC research grant to establish an international, multidisciplinary network of scholars to consider new directions in copyright law. The core participants in the network are copyright scholars working across a range of different disciplines, including law, economics, politics and political economy, cultural studies, and social theory. With input from a range of copyright stakeholders, the network will play a leading role in stimulating international research and debate about the future of the copyright system.
The work of the network has been pursued through six interrelated themes, which are:
- Theoretical Framework of Copyright Law
- Globalisation, Convergence and Divergence
- Developments in Rights Neighbouring on Copyright
- Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Culture
- Copyright and the New Technologies
- Copyright, Corporate Power and Human Rights
HERA (Humanities in the European Research Area) Joint Research Programme
Fiona Macmillan is the recipient of a three-year research grant under the HERA (Humanities in the European Research Area) Joint Research Programme as part of an interdisciplinary collaborative research project, which commenced in March 2010. The collaborative research project, which is entitled Copyrighting Creativity: Creative Values, Cultural Heritage Institutions and Systems of Intellectual Property will be led by Professor Helle Porsdam of the University of Copenhagen. As part of the collaborative research project, Fiona Macmillan will address The Relationship between Copyright, Cultural Property and Human Rights: Case Study on the Policy and Practice of Arts Festivals.
The first Working Paper for this project is now available at www.cultivateproject.dk.
