Prof. Joseph Fishman
Vanderbilt Law School
“There is no numerical litmus test. The ultimate question is going to be, "Is this a substantial similarity or not?"”
Joseph Fishman is a professor of law at Vanderbilt School of Law. His research focuses on intellectual property, particularly its relationship to creativity and the creative process. He is a recognized expert on music copyright matters. His recent scholarship has covered such legal issues as infringing similarity between songs, the role of expert witnesses in music copyright litigation, judges' definition of musical originality, and trademark issues related to sound recordings. His work has appeared in leading journals, including the Harvard Law Review, NYU Law Review, and the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.
