U.S. design-law scholar Christine Haight Farley joins Hanken as Fulbright–Hanken Distinguished Chair
Professor Farley is a professor of law and a co-director of the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property Law at American University in Washington DC. She has been a law professor for 30 years and has held visiting professorships at universities in Australia, Cuba, France, Germany, India, Japan, and Puerto Rico.
Her research focuses on topics including the international dimensions of intellectual property, freedom of expression, art and design, and the expansion of intellectual property protections.
During her stay at Hanken, Farley will be working at the Department of Accounting and Commercial Law.
“I am excited to host Professor Christine Farley at Hanken. Her research on the interface of design, copyright and trademark law will enrich discussions among our students and researchers, and I look forward to the dialogue her visit will inspire”, says Nari Lee, professor in intellectual property law at Hanken.
Professor Farley will continue work on her forthcoming book on how design is protected by intellectual property law and how that protection has evolved over time and taken different approaches in the US and Europe.
“I’m particularly interested in the legal status of iconic mid-twentieth-century designs. These designs emerged during a period of peak design innovation, yet at a time when IP protection was largely unavailable. Because they are highly coveted today, original producers now contest design replicas using trademark rights in the US and copyright in Europe“, says Professor Farley.
According to her, these IP claims extend protection well beyond the current terms of design protection — the tool built for this purpose — suggesting that IP law still hasn't solved the puzzle of design.
“I am excited to soak up Finnish culture especially around design, but everything else including how Finns value community, nature, and education. I hope to make life-long connections and build scholarly and academic collaborations”, she concludes.
Research seminar with Christine Haight Farley, 10 September 2026
On 10 September, Professor Farley will present her research at a seminar at Hanken.
Seminar title: Design Law Without Design Law? The Rise of Copyright and Trademark in Shaping Design Protection
Date: Thursday 10 September 2026
Venue: Lilla Hangö, Hanken School of Economics (Arkadiankatu 22, Helsinki)
Programme
08.00-8.30 Light breakfast
08.30-9.30 Presentation and Q&A
The seminar is free of charge and will be held in English. It is open to Hanken alumni, students, staff and corporate partners.