Dr Tomruk Ustunkaya

About

As a law academic at Kingston Business School, I am the lead for several modules in the undergraduate programmes.  My interest in business law is mainly derived through vocational experience from the fashion industry (UK) and law firms (both within the UK and Canada).  My strong appreciation for the fine arts has provided me with the perspective, from which I explore the disparity between the law and creativity; specifically relating to commercial law pursuits stemming from product design.  I have published a range of peer-reviewed law journal articles mainly in Intellectual Property Law, examining topics such as Fashion Law, Law and Technology (namely, 3D printing and AI) and cultural property.  

PUBLICATIONS:

• Hidden from Sight: Why the complexity of ME/CFS needs to be recognised by policy makers – co-authored with Richard Machin, People, Place, Policy, 15(2), 91-99, 2021 – peer reviewed.

• Fashion Law: Exploration through Trademarks and Passing-off, EIPR 2021, 43(3), 181-193 peer reviewed.

• Fashion Law: The limitation Conundrum of The Patents Act 1977, EIPR 2020, 42(10), 621-622 peer reviewed.

• Fashion Law: Design Rights – An EU Perspective on the Implications of the Functionality Doctrine - EIPR 2020, 42(8), 508-515, peer-reviewed.

• The Functionality Doctrine: Is 3D printing challenging rigidity in Fashion law? EIPR 2020, 42(5), 286-292- peer-reviewed.

• The Functionality Doctrine: The Challenges to Fashion Copyright, EIPR 2020, 42(3), 156 peer reviewed.

• Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe to Fashion in consideration of the Functionality Doctrine? EIPR 2020, 42(1), 13-18 peer reviewed

• A 3D printed Masterpiece: Considerations for Offences relating to Cultural Property –EIPR 2018, 40(4), 213-217, Peer-reviewed.

• Combating Counterfeiting derived by 3D Printing: Consumer Products, European Journal of Law and Technology, Vol 9, No 1, 2018. Peer-reviewed.

• A Counterfeit Catastrophe: Considerations for Illegal Prescription Drugs produced by 3D-Printing Technology, EIPR 2018, 40(6), 374-380 Peer reviewed.

PUBLIC SPEAKING:

• University of Buckingham - February 2022 Invited to present own research on the relationship between Fashion and Copyright law.

• Miguel Hernández Universitas, Orihuela, Spain – October 2019. Invited to present research paper Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe to Fashion in consideration of the Functionality Doctrine?

• University of Exeter - Re-Imagining Conference - April 2018 Invited to present paper A 3D printed Masterpiece: Considerations for Offences relating to Cultural Property – Re-Imagining Conference.

• Warwick University Annual Critical Legal conference - September 2017. Invited to present paper at (titled: A Counterfeit Catastrophe: Considerations for Illegal Prescription Drugs produced by 3D-Printing Technology).

• BILETA Conference, University of Minho, Portugal – April 2017 Invited to present paper (titled: Combating Counterfeiting derived from 3D Printing: The Legal Race Against Technology). Publication due in European Journal for Law and Technology April 2018.