Dr Che Ekaratne

Dr S. Che Ekaratne’s research focuses on intellectual property law, especially copyright law, and its intersection with other aspects of private law. She has a particular interest in intellectual property and entertainment law relevant to books, films and visual images. Che has published research on topics such as copyright, trade marks, passing off, publicity rights and the inheritability of intangible property. Her work has been published in the European Intellectual Property Review, the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice and the Media & Arts Law Review. Her research is cited in court judgments and in leading scholarly commentary. She has also been invited to consult with a national law commission on statutory reforms. 

Much of Che’s research involves comparative analyses of legal issues across multiple jurisdictions. She has experience researching and teaching laws of several jurisdictions including England & Wales, the United States and New Zealand. Her academic credentials include a B.A. summa cum laude from Yale University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an LL.M. in Commercial Law from the University of Bristol and a PhD from the University of Canterbury. She also studied law at the University of Oxford during her Yale undergraduate degree. 

Che values research-informed teaching that enhances student learning and supervision. At the University of Reading, she teaches intellectual property and other private law topics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has also taught law at the University of Canterbury and Victoria University of Wellington. Before entering academia, Che was an attorney at a U.S. law firm, where her work included submissions to the U.S. Supreme Court.