Prof. Jyh-An LEE’s perspective on the regulation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has recently been referenced in a report presented to the U.S. Congress by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the United States Copyright Office (USCO). The USPTO and USCO have adopted Prof. Lee’s stance on various matters, including the technical limitations of blockchain in distinguishing possession of an NFT from ownership, copyright infringement arising from the creation of an NFT based on an existing physical artwork, and the patentability concerns associated with utilizing AI tools to create NFTs.

Prof. Lee’s viewpoint was primarily informed by his recent article, “Unwinding NFTs in the shadow of IP law,” published in the American Business Law Journal, which he co-authored with Prof. Runhua Wang and CUHK LAW PhD student Jingwen Liu.