Artemis II mission shows relevance of INTA Research

Our partner, Alexandre de Lespinasse, serving another term on INTA’s Research Advisory Council, was even more excited about Artemis’ trip to the dark side of the moon. It provided an opportunity to promote one piece of INTA research in particular from December 2022: : IP in Space: A Report From the IP in Space Project Team from December 2022. The report analyses existing international treaties, national laws, arbitration mechanisms, and hypothetical scenarios, and proposes various structural approaches for creating and enforcing IP rights in space. This recent achievement is another “wake-up” call, as INTA CEO put it, “for international organizations, governments, IP authorities, and, indeed, all stakeholders in both IP and space exploration, to identify and develop fair, transparent, and actionable mechanisms to promote innovation and the protection of IP in outer space.”

The mission provided us with a great example of IP in space. During one of NASA’s live broadcasts of the crew, our attention focused on a jar of Nutella floating about the cabin. If you’re interested in thinking through the legal implications and possible scenarios around this use of a brand in space, the report is a great place to start. 

A PDF is available to the public: 053123_IPINSPACE_REPORT.pdf