Abraham Drassinower

Abraham Drassinower is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, holding the Chair in the Legal, Ethical and Cultural Implications of Technological Innovation. He joined the Faculty of Law in 1999 and previously served as Director (2006-2009) and co-Director (2012-2017) of the Centre for Innovation Law and Policy. Prior to his appointment, he held a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto (1993-1995) and lectured on political philosophy at York University and the University of Toronto.

Dr. Drassinower's educational background includes B.A., M.A., Ph.D., and LL.B. degrees from the University of Toronto. He also served as a Law Clerk to Mr. Justice John C. Major of the Supreme Court of Canada (1998-1999).

Professor Drassinower's research focuses on the intersection of intellectual property law with legal and political philosophy. His work explores how copyright law relates to broader questions of authorship, expression, and the public domain. He approaches copyright not merely as a legal doctrine but as a framework for understanding human creativity and communication. His influential book "What's Wrong with Copying" (Harvard University Press, 2015) challenges conventional understandings of copyright by arguing that copyright is fundamentally about the relationship between author and audience rather than mere copying.

His scholarly output demonstrates a consistent engagement with foundational questions in copyright theory, examining concepts like originality, the idea/expression dichotomy, user rights, and the proper scope of copyright protection. Drassinower's work often draws on philosophical traditions, particularly Kantian thought, to develop a rights-based approach to copyright that emphasizes the communicative function of authored works.

Among his notable contributions are his arguments about copyright infringement as compelled speech, his critique of incentive-based justifications for copyright, and his exploration of copyright's relationship to technological neutrality. His scholarship has influenced both academic discourse and policy discussions around copyright law in Canada and internationally.

Professor Drassinower has received significant scholarly attention for his work, with special journal issues devoted to his book "What's Wrong with Copying" in The Intellectual Property Journal and The IP Book Law Review. His scholarship appears in leading law reviews including the Harvard Law Review Forum, Notre Dame Law Review, and Michigan State Law Review.

He has supervised numerous graduate students and contributed to the academic community through his leadership roles at the Centre for Innovation Law and Policy. His interdisciplinary approach bridges legal doctrine with philosophical inquiry, making significant contributions to our understanding of intellectual property's role in cultural and political life.