Additive at Penn State

Daniel Cahoy - Professor fo Business Law at Smeal College of Business - Penn State
To register for this seminar, please email amdprogram@psu.edu

ABSTRACT
Entrepreneurs and firms are creating new markets for recycled, repaired, and upcycled goods. This activity reflects an increasing desire by consumers for more sustainable products as well as reducing landfill and other product disposal harms to the environment. A key technology underlying this modern take on traditional used goods is additive manufacturing, which permits product modification and repair without the reliance on OEM parts or approval. However, significant legal barriers can exist when proprietary goods are modified by third parties without authorization. In particular, intellectual property rights can create substantial liability and are a major component of the debate surrounding the so-called right to repair. This presentation will describe the essential legal rights at issue and propose risk management strategies.

BIOGRAPHY
Dan Cahoy is a Professor of Business Law at Penn State's Smeal College of Business. He also serves as the Research Director for the Smeal Center for the Business of Sustainability and is an Affiliate Professor of Law at Penn State Law. Professor Cahoy earned his J.D. from the University of New Hampshire and he specializes in the teaching and study of intellectual property law as well general business law concepts. He has been a member of the Penn State faculty for twenty years and has taught students at the graduate and undergraduate level in a variety of courses concerning IP. In 2021, Professor Cahoy was awarded the Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching, Penn State’s highest award for tenured faculty members engaged in undergraduate instruction. He has published numerous articles in academic law journals on topics such as IP and alternative energy policy, business and human rights, reforming the U.S. patent system, and the use of contracts to extend limited intellectual property rights. He is a patent attorney and is admitted to the New York State Bar as well as several federal courts. Prior to joining the University, Professor Cahoy practiced in New York City where he was counsel in litigations in which some of the country's largest pharmaceutical innovators were clients.