Professor John Swinson
Professor
TC Beirne School of Law
+61 7 336 54750
Researcher biography
John Swinson's principal interests are intellectual property law, Internet law, privacy law, AI law, cybersecurity law and the application of law to new technologies.
John graduated from the T.C. Beirne School of Law in 1988 with a University Medal. He also has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in computer science from The University of Queensland and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School where he studied as a Fulbright Fellow and a Frank Knox Scholar. In 1989, John worked as a judge's associate to Justice C W Pincus of the Federal Court of Australia. John is admitted to the NY Bar, and worked as an associate at Kenyon & Kenyon in NYC from September 1991 to January 1997. From 1999 until 2017, John was an adjunct professor at QUT.
John was a partner at the law firm King & Wood Mallesons from 1999 to 2021. He was also Chairman of the auDA Policy Review Panel, which made recommendations to the auDA Board to revise Australia's domain name policies in 2019.
Since 2000, John has been an arbitrator for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, and has decided over 720 disputes regarding the ownership of domain names.
John commenced as a professor at the T.C. Beirne School of Law in November 2017.
Publications
Book
Swinson, John (2013). Patent Law for Australian Inventors. Brisbane, QLD Australia: King & Wood Mallesons.
Book Chapters
Swinson, John (2024). Technology & IP / Artificial intelligence & IP. Practical Guidance. (pp. 1-1) Sydney, NSW Australia: LexisNexis.
Gunning, Patrick, Lange, Michaela and Swinson, John (2015). The PPSA and security interests over intellectual property. Australian Finance Law. (pp. 649-660) edited by John Stumbles. Sydney, NSW, Australia: Lawbook Co..
Swinson, John and Howley, Jessica (2010). Intellectual Property. Personal property securities in Australia. (pp. 4.9.50-4.9.1550) edited by Steve Edwards, Craig Wappett and Bruce Whittaker . Chatswood, NSW Australia: LexisNexis.
Swinson John and Middleton, Gaye (2000). Patents in cyberspace: electronic commerce and business method patents. Going Digital 2000: legal issues for e-commerce, software, and the internet. (pp. ---) edited by Fitzgerald, Anne, Fitzgerald, Peter Cook and Cifuentes, Christina. New South Wales: Prospect Media.
Journal Articles
Swinson, John (2023). Artificial artistry: The legal implications of AI-generated art (or legally, is AI art really art?). Art and Australia, 58 (2).
Swinson, John V. (2022). New cybersecurity laws In Australia. Computer and Telecommunications Law Review, 28 (8), 167-171.
Swinson, John V. (2022). Review of Copyright law, by David Brennan. Computer and Telecommunications Law Review, 28 (7), 163-164.
Swinson, John V. (2022). Software licensing in M&A transactions. Computer and Telecommunications Law Review, 28 (7), 156-158.
Swinson, John (2020). Cybersecurity lawsuits. Computers and Law, 19-21.
Swinson, John and Nash, Kai (2020). Surveillance law. The Agent, 53 (5), 8-10.
Swinson, John, Litherland, Karen, Nash, Kai and Schibler, Linus (2020). Screen scraping: A question of legality. Thompson Reuters Practical Law.
Swinson, John V. and Gunning, Patrick M. (2012). The Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth) and its impact on intellectual property. Intellectual property forum (91), 37-46.
Swinson, John (2012). Online marketing: A one-way street once more?. Art + Law (3), 19-20.
Swinson, John V. (2011). Domain name law. PRECEDENT (103), 10-14.
Swinson, John (2006). Uncertainties and insecurities : personal property security reform and its impact on intellectual property. Intellectual property forum (66), 12-25.
Swinson, John V. (2002). Security interests in intellectual property in Australia. Bond Law Review, 14 (1) 9, 1-56. doi: 10.53300/001c.5393
Mann, Jeff, Swinson, John and Morrison, David (2000). e-gst. Revenue Law Journal, 10 (1), 138-189.
Swinson, John (1998). E-commerce patents. Law and Technology (4), 1-2.
Swinson, John (1995). Confidentiality on the Superhighway. The American Lawyer.
Swinson, John (1994). Recent software patent developments in the United States. Journal of Law and Information Science, 5 (2), 281-295.
Swinson, John (1993). Notes from the United States. Journal of Law and Information Science, 4 (2), 293-303.
Swinson, John V. (1993). Software patents in the United States. Journal of Law and Information Science, 4 (1), 116-141.
Swinson, John (1991). Copyright or patent or both: an algorithmic approach to computer software protection. Harvard Journal of Law and Technology, 5 (1), 145-214.
Pincus, C.W. and Swinson, J. V. (1990). The idle creditor. Australian Business Law Review, 18 (2).
Conference Papers
Swinson, John, Gomez, Angelina, Sanghera, Kiran, Price, Schellie Jayne and Mallett, Daisy (2023). Arbitration new frontiers: AI, sustainable practices and other ideas. ACICA International Arbitration Conference, Perth, WA Australia, 9 October 2023.
Swinson, John (2023). The use of generative AI in a legal practice - a giant leap forward?. ALPMA Summit 2023 'Embrace, Adapt, Evolve: the sustainable firm of the future', Melbourne, VIC Australia, 6-8 September 2023.
Swinson, John (2023). Privacy and Cyber Security Class Actions: the next growth wave. Emerging Trends in Class Action Litigation, Sydney, NSW Australia, 10 March 2023. Sydney, NSW Australia: Commercial Law Association.
Gold, Anthony, Nodine, Larry and Swinson, John (2022). Objective knowledge, subjective knowledge, intent. 2022 WIPO Panelists Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland, 14 October 2022. Geneva, Switzerland: WIPO.
Swinson, John V. (2001). Do Internet process patents threaten eCommerce?. Cyberspace Regulation: eCommerce and Content, Sydney, Australia, 24 - 25 May.
Working Paper
Abeysooriya, Sasenka, Akhlaghpour, Saeed, Bongiovanni, Ivano, Dowsett, Dallas, Grotowski, Joseph, Holm, Mike, Kim, Dan, Ko, Ryan, Phillips, Andelka M., Slapnicar, Sergeja, Stockdale, David, Swinson, John, Thonon, Geoffroy, Utting, Mark, Walker-Munro, Brendan and Willoughby, Shannon (2023). Discussion Paper: 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy. UQ CYBER and AUSCERT.
Audio Document
Swinson, John and Doraisamy, Jerome (2023). Podcast: How damages could be assessed for data and cyber class actions. Lawyers Weekly.
Research Reports
John Swinson (2024). Submission in respect Search Engines – Digital Platform Services Inquiry. Canberra, Australia: ACCC.
Swinson, John (2023). Submission in respect Safe and Responsible AI in Australia – Discussion Paper. Canberra, ACT Australia: Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
John Swinson (2023). Submission in respect of Privacy Act Review – Report 2022. Canberra, ACT Australia: Attorney-Generals Department.
Brydon T Wang and John Swinson (2022). Submission on the proposed changes to Queensland's Information Privacy and Right to Information Framework. Brisbane, QLD: Department of Justice and Attorney-General.
Swinson, John (2022). Submission in respect of Privacy Act Review – discussion paper. Canberra, ACT Australia: Attorney-Generals Department.
Swinson, John, Clark, Narelle, Fenton, Brett, Halson, Ian, Hunter, Dan, Hole, Jeff and Seaton, Nicola (2019). Final report: recommendations to the auDA board: reform of existing policies & implementation of direct registration. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: auDA.
Generic Documents
O'Connell, Kim, Swinson, John, Hawthorne, Luke and Frydman, Sarah-Jane (2020). Patent rights on sale: High Court adopts doctrine of exhaustion of rights on first sale . King & Wood Mallesons.
Swinson, John and Slater, Rebecca (2020). Practical tips for modern workplace surveillance. King & Wood Mallesons.
Swinson, John, Slater, Rebecca and Foreacre, Kendra (2020). AI Guides | AI & Copyright. King & Wood Mallesons.
Swinson, John, Slater, Rebecca and Foreacre, Kendra (2020). AI Guides | Ownership of AI generated Works. King & Wood Mallesons.
Swinson, John and Purcell Hennessey, Kathryn (2015). State Supreme Court limits enterprise licence on licensee acquisition. King & Wood Mallesons.
Swinson, John, Bowe, Kirsten and McKew, Anthony (2014). Australia’s cybercrime legislation. King & Wood Mallesons.
Swinson, John, Hirsowitz, Jonathan and Edwards, Sofie (2014). Australian software distributor liable for withholding tax on offshore payments. King & Wood Mallesons.
Kam, Cassie, Slater, Rebecca and Swinson, John (2013). Social media marketing – managing your online presence in the wake of recent ASB decisions . King & Wood Mallesons.
McKew, Anthony and Swinson, John (2013). Google Inc v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission . King & Wood Mallesons.
Swinson, John (2012). Trade mark protection endorsed for apartment manager. King & Wood Mallesons.
Seminar Papers
Swinson, John (2022). The Right to Privacy & Roe v Wade. Privacy108.
Swinson, John, Brown, Neil, Christie, Andrew and Karabardak, Erhan (2018). Watch this (domain) space: developments in the .au policy review panel, direct registrations and domain name disputes and arbitrations. A Victorian Twilight Seminar supported by IPSANZ and IPRIA. Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne.