LOS ANGELES — Copyright law is often described as neutral and objective. In a new book from Cambridge University Press, Professor John Tehranian argues it is anything but. The Secret Life of Copyright: Intellectual Property and Inequality in the Age of AI reveals how doctrines governing authorship, derivative rights, and fair use have long reproduced and even exacerbated inequities along  race, gender, and class lines—inequities that artificial intelligence now threatens to magnify—while also impoverishing the law’s role in promoting creativity.  

To mark the book’s release, Southwestern Law School will host a conversation with Tehranian on Friday, February 6, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. PT via Zoom. The event will include opening remarks by Dean Darby Dickerson, followed by remarks from Professor Tehranian. We’re also excited that Madhavi Sunder, the Frank Sherry Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Georgetown University Law Center, will then interview Professor Tehranian and moderate an audience Q&A. Registration is free and open to the public. 

“Copyright has always been more than a set of technical rules; it is a cultural gatekeeper,” said Tehranian. “As AI reshapes how and what we create and consume, we need to reckon with the ways in which the law can deepen inequality and stifle creativity unless we imagine a fairer and more robust copyright system.” 

Tehranian, the Paul W. Wildman Chair and Professor of Law at Southwestern, is a nationally recognized authority on intellectual property and entertainment law. His previous books include Infringement Nation (Oxford University Press, 2011) and Whitewashed (NYU Press, 2009). 

Event Details 

Title: The Secret Life of Copyright: Intellectual Property and Inequality in the Age of AI — Virtual Book Release 
Date/Time: Friday, February 6, 2026 | 12:30–1:30 p.m. PT 
Format: Zoom (free with registration) 
Featuring: John Tehranian, Southwestern Law School 
Moderator: Madhavi Sunder, Frank Sherry Professor of Intellectual Property Law, Georgetown University Law Center 

Register Here:  
https://swlaw-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uAkxuwspQseKAVnQvnKsiQ