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School of Law

Kay Dunn

Kay

PhD Student

Email: k.dunn@qmul.ac.uk
Website: @KDunn_QMUL

Profile

Thesis title

Intellectual Property Protections for Indigenous Cultural Heritage in Scotland, a Social Justice Perspective

Supervisors

Professor Uma Suthersanen and Dr Debbie de Girolamo

Summary of research

Kay Dunn is researching the intersection of intellectual property law and intangible cultural heritage in the context of Scottish indigenous communities and the political push for Scottish independence. Kay is approaching this issue using an IP Social Justice lens that considers the equitable access of IP mechanisms which can offer empowerment to communities.

Kay Dunn’s research is predominantly concerned with how IP law can be used to safeguard Scottish indigenous cultural heritage, promoting the sense of belonging and identity in indigenous Highland and Island communities in Scotland. Through this research empirical data will be collected through interviews with intangible cultural heritage stakeholders to allow for meaningful dialogue around the needs of indigenous holders of traditional knowledge and creators of traditional cultural expressions. 

Kay Dunn has a particular interest in the socio-economic divide in relation to traditional cultural expressions in Scotland, for example tartan and Harris tweed. 

Biography

Kay Dunn is a Herchel Smith PhD candidate at Queen Mary University of London, researching the intersection of Intellectual Property Law and Scottish Indigenous Cultural Heritage. Kay holds an LLB (Hons), LLM and PGCE (Post Compulsory Education) from the University of Wolverhampton. Kay has legal teaching experience from the University of Wolverhampton, Birmingham City University and Queen Mary University of London. Kay is the Executive Editor of the Queen Mary Law Journal and was recognised as one of the University of Wolverhampton’s Inspirational Women in Law 2020.

Professional Memberships:

  • Queen Mary Law Journal – Executive Editor
  • Advance HE – Fellow FHEA
  • British Literary and Artistic Copyright Association - member
  • Society of Legal Scholars - member
  • Socio-Legal Studies Association – member

Publications

  • 2024 – ‘Misappropriating Scottish Intangible Cultural Heritage: Empowering Community Ownership through IP rights’ [in progress]
  • 2024 – ‘Indigeneity in the Highlands and Islands: Exploring Indigenousness for Scottish communities’ [in progress]
  • 2023 – ‘A Final Farewell to Scottish Independence? - Devolution issues under the Scotland Act 1998, Reference by the Lord Advocate (Rev1) [2022] UKSC 31 (23 November 2022)’ [Accepted]
  • 2021 – ‘Book Review: Marie Cornu et al (eds), Intangible Cultural Heritage under National and International Law Going Beyond the 2003 UNESCO Convention’ (2021) 6 WLJ 97
  • 2021 - 'Fostering Student Engagement with inclusivity' (2021) Inclusivity Matters vol 2
  • 2020 – ‘Book Review: Metka Potocnik (author), Arbitrating Brands International Investment Treaties and Trade Marks.’ (2020) 4 WLJ 88
  • 2019 – ‘The First 100 Years Colloquium 'Celebrating Women in Law and Criminal Justice' (2019) 3 WLJ 77

Conference Papers and Presentations

  • 2024 – Intellectual Properties in Colonial and Postcolonial History Conference - Africa Museum Tervueren, Belgium, [requested]
  • 2024 – Jotkulture Podcast – Online podcast with Professor Julia Janewa Osei-Tutu [requested]
  • 2023 – SLS Annual Conference – Oxford Brookes University - ‘An IP Social Justice lens to Scottish Indigenous Cultural Heritage’ 
  • 2023 – SLS IP Early Careers Workshop – Kings College London - ‘An IP Social Justice lens to Scottish Indigenous Cultural Heritage’ [submitted]
  • 2023 – IPIRA - Nanyang Technological University – ‘Tartan vs Tweed: A divide in Approaches to Scottish Cultural Heritage'
  • 2022 – EIPIN Doctoral Seminar – University of Alicante – ‘Intellectual Property Protections for Scottish Indigenous Cultural Heritage’
  • 2022 – QMIPRI Doctoral Seminar - ‘Intellectual Property Protections for Scottish Indigenous Cultural Heritage’
  • 2021 – Keele Foundation Year Network Conference – ‘2020: The Lasting Impact of the Pandemic on HE students’
  • 2021- Annual research Conference – University of Wolverhampton – ‘Protecting Women’s Traditional Knowledge in the UK’.
  • 2020- Annual research Conference – University of Wolverhampton ‘How is diversity within the university affected by the GTA programme?’
  • 2020 – SLS Conference – Online – ‘BAME Retention: Does a GTA programme inclusive of the PGCE make a difference?’
  • 2020 – 100 years of Women in Law Celebration – University of Wolverhampton – ‘Women’s work during the Covid Pandemic’

Conference attendance:

  • 2023 – WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore 46th Session.
  • 2023 – IPIRA - Nanyang Technological University
  • 2022 – EIPIN Doctoral Seminar – University of Alicante
  • 2022 – IIPSJ IP Mosaic Conference
  • 2022 – QMIPRI Doctoral Seminar
  • 2021 – Keele Foundation Year Network Conference
  • 2021 – IIPSJ IP Mosaic Conference
  • 2021 - Annual research Conference – University of Wolverhampton
  • 2020 - Annual research Conference – University of Wolverhampton
  • 2020 – 100 years of Women in Law Celebration – University of Wolverhampton
  • 2020 – SLS Conference – Online
  • 2019 – Women in Business and Law – University of Wolverhampton

Awards and Grants:

  • 2023 - Canada UK Foundation – travel fund for research in Canada [Submitted]
  • 2021 - Herchel Smith Scholarship – PhD stipend funding for Intellectual Property law research at Queen Mary University of London
  • 2020 – Inspirational Woman in Law Award – University of Wolverhampton

Research

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