October 6-7, 2017 Penn State Law (University Park)

Co-Sponsored by AALS Property Section and AALS Commercial and Related Consumer Law Section

This workshop at Penn State Law (University Park) will bring together an interdisciplinary and transnational group of scholars to explore the many property implications of the sharing economy. The workshop is being co-organized by Dean Hari Osofsky, Penn State Law and School of International Affairs; Rashmi Dyal-Chand, Northeastern University School of Law; and Shelly Kreiczer-Levy, College of Law and Business, Ramat Gan, Israel. It is co-sponsored by Penn State Law, the AALS Property Section, and the AALS Commercial and Related Consumer Law Section.

OVERVIEW: The last several years have seen a major growth in peer-to-peer online exchanges and other collaborative consumption enterprises. Companies such as Airbnb and Uber have disrupted long-established regulated industries. A wide range of smaller companies connect strangers to "share" underutilized resources. In addition, crowdfunding through Kickstarter and other companies has provided a mechanism for individuals to launch ventures that are difficult to fund through traditional methods. These types of companies are only likely to become more important. PricewaterhouseCoopers, for instance, estimates that sharing economy global platform revenues could grow from $15 billion in 2013 to $335 billion by 2025.

The rapid growth of the sharing economy has significant property implications. It changes how people use their own property and interact with the property of others. Property law - among many other types of applicable law, including tax, insurance, zoning, licensing, consumer protection, data privacy, and labor law - both facilitates and constrains these exchanges.

PAPER SUBMISSIONS/PARTICIPATION: We welcome submissions of abstracts in any area that connects to the workshop themes. We also would be delighted to have individuals serve as commentators or moderators of sessions. Please let us know of your interest in participating by July 1, 2017 by emailing Shelly Kreiczer-Levy, shellykr@clb.ac.il. Please include an abstract if you would like to present. We will accept presenters, commentators, and moderators on a rolling basis and anticipate finalizing participants by July 15, 2017.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Penn State Law, based in University Park, PA, will host the event and provide meals throughout the workshop (including ice cream from the famed Penn State University Berkey Creamery). Participants will be responsible for other expenses, including their own travel and lodging. We have arranged for a hotel block that will allow participants to book at a discounted rate. Delta, American, and United offer direct flights to State College (airport located 15 minutes from conference), and BWI, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg airports are within driving distance.