About Sean
Professor Flynn researches and teaches on the intersection of intellectual property, international law, and human rights. Professor Flynn designs and manages a wide variety of research and advocacy projects that promote the public interest in intellectual property and information law. Professor Flynn Chairs the Global Expert Network on Copyright User Rights and is a founding member of the Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest.
He is Editor in Chief of Infojustice.org, a leading public interest law and policy blog. He is a special faculty appointment at American University Washington College of Law, visiting Scholar at the University of Amsterdam’s Institute for Information Law (IViR), and Senior Research Associate at the University of Cape Town’s Intellectual Property Unit. Prior to joining WCL, Professor Flynn completed a Fulbright Fellowship, was clerk to Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson, South African Constitutional Court and Judge Raymond Fisher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, practiced law at Spiegel & McDiarmid and the Consumer Project on Technology, and served on the policy team advising then Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval Patrick.
Articles by this Author
WIPO SCCR 47 Ends with Some Progress After Another Late Night
The World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights negotiated its conclusions into the early morning hours...
Analysis of Agenda Items for WIPO SCCR 47
This note, which will be presented at the November 25, CKG Workshop on SCCR 47, provides background information, links to...
Is the draft Broadcast Treaty consistent with the General Assembly mandate?
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently published a new draft of the proposed Broadcasting Organizations Treaty as document SCCR/47/3...
Excerpts from Delegation Statements on the SCCR at the 2025 General Assembly
In a previous blog post, we analyzed the statements of regional groups and delegations during the 2025 WIPO General Assembly...
WIPO General Assembly Meeting on SCCR Expresses Consensus for Progress on Broadcast and L&E Instruments
Sean Flynn, Luca Schirru, Talia Deady The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held its General Assembly (GA) this week, including...
User Rights Network on SCCR Calls for Progress
The following statement was delivered by Professor Sean Flynn on behalf of the Global Expert Network on Copyright User Rights...
WIPO DDG Expresses “Frustration” and “Bitterness” and Calls for Risk Taking for Progress
The World Intellectual Property Organization General Assembly’s consideration of the work of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights...
WIPO GA Opening Statements Signal Debates Ahead
The World Intellectual Property Organization’s General Assembly finished the opening statements of Member States and is now moving toward its...
US Proposes Limiting IGC Meetings and Mandate
The United States delegation, in its opening statement to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and...
Can One Country Block Everything in WIPO?
One of the questions swirling around Geneva these days is whether one country can block all progress alone. In WIPO...
Counterfeit Concerns or Development Disconnect? A Look at the UK Proposal at CDIP/34
A debate broke out at the 34th session of WIPO’s Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) about a proposal...
Limitations and Exceptions in the U.S. Special 301 Report 2025
The first Special 301 Report under the Trump Administration was released last month: 2025 Special 301 Report (final).pdf. The report...
A Step Forward: World Intellectual Property Organization’s Copyright Committee Inches Forward on Broadcast and Limitations
The Forty-Sixth Session of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) concluded with modest...
Statement of User Rights Network on Design Protection for Graphical User Interfaces
Professor Sean Flynn delivered the following statement at the World Intellectual Property Organization Standing Committee on Trademarks on the proposal...
Cradle Principles on Knowledge Governance Released at World Intellectual Property Organization
The Cradle Principles on Knowledge Governance were released today at the 50th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property...
Developing Countries' Accomplishments in the WIPO Design Law Treaty
Last year, two new intellectual property treaties were adopted by the World Intellectual Property Organization — one on the disclosure...




