Dr Kathy Bowrey FASSA is a Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice, UNSW, Sydney. She researches and teaches in intellectual property, drawing out the political, cultural and social contexts of legal power that impact the vibrancy of the culture industries and higher education. Her work is informed by an understanding of media and technology history. 

Her current research project ARC DP260100770 (2026-2029),  'Artists and Generative AI: Copyright and the Private Regulation of Creativity' (Prof Kathy Bowrey, UNSW; Assoc Prof Oliver Bown, UNSW; Dr Marie Hadley, UoN; Dr Louise Buckingham, CEO, Arts Law Centre of Australia) explores the significant power imbalance between artists and tech giants in the age of Generative AI that undermines the value of copyright to creators. We will investigate the connection between licensing terms attached to the digital tools, apps, and platforms used by visual artists and intensification of economic and cultural disruption in the arts. Project innovation flows from mapping artist's views about their incorporation into AI-data markets to tech and platform licensing terms that facilitate extraction of value from creative labour. We hope recommendations will help promote more equitable industry-artist partnerships to facilitate growth of a vibrant digital arts sector through improving education and legal advice to artists.

She was lead CI on ARC DP200110578 (2020-2024),  'Producing, Managing and Owning Knowledge in the 21st Century University’ (Prof Kathy Bowrey, UNSW; Em Prof Tom Cochrane (QUT); Dr Marie Hadley (UoN ); Em Prof Jill McKeough (UTS); Dr Kylie Pappalardo (QUT); Professor Irene Watson ( UniSA); Prof Kimberlee Weatherall (Sydney). This project mapped the Australian research policy terrain, with an eye toward harmonization and coherence to better advance public goals by improving open research and with a view to enhancing Australian research impact and engagement. Further information can be found here. The project led to an Academy of Social Sciences Roundtable, 'An Australian Roadmap for Open Research', held in Canberra June 2024 which resulted in the establishment of the National Open Science Taskforce (NOST). Established in 2024 - with membership drawn from Australian research academies, research funders and expert bodies engaged in the production, management and use of publicly funded research - NOST provides expert and informed advice on issues of Open Science.

Professor Bowrey is a foundation member of the International Society for the History and Theory of Intellectual Property established in 2008 and served as Co-Director in 2019-2023. This organisation sprang from international interest across law, humanities and the sciences to foster intellectual property research and better communication across national and disciplinary boundaries. She was a Visiting Scholar at the State Library of New South Wales (2021-22) and was a Research Fellow at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (2021), Australia. She was a member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts (2018-2021).