Areas of practice
Dr. Seagull Haiyan Song is an international partner at KWM’s Intellectual Property Department, heading the Artificial Intelligence and Tech/Media/Entertainment practice in the firm. Dr. Song has practiced IP law and entertainment law in Mainland China, China Hong Kong SAR and the United States for nearly three decades, working with multinational companies, policymakers, academics, trade unions and other industry players. Dr. Song specializes in AI-Generated Content and copyright related issues, data privacy, cross-border transaction, IP strategy, IP licensing and IP enforcement, etc. Dr. Song regularly provides strategic, business and legal advice to clients from the technology, media, sports and entertainment industries.
Dr. Song leads her team to advise multinational companies regarding legal issues related to Artificial Intelligence, data privacy, movies and TV, theme park, digital media, music, games and e-sports, virtual avatar, NFT products and metaverse, etc.
Dr. Song is currently a Standing Committee member of Chinese Copyright Society and an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of the Copyright Society of the U.S. She is also a guest Professor at Peking University School of Law and Beijing Film Academy, etc. Dr. Song is the co-author of the "AI-Generated Content and Copyright (China)" (TR, 2024); author of the leading treatise “Entertainment Law” (2014, 2018) in China, now in its second edition; co-author of “Selected Chinese Entertainment Law Cases” (2023); and co-author of “Transnational Intellectual Property Law: Text and Cases” (EE, 2018), among others. Dr. Song has been a frequent speaker around the world on AIGC, U.S.-China intellectual property law and entertainment law related issues and recent developments.
Dr. Song had been acclaimed as an “Asia Law Leading Lawyer” by Asia Law & Practice in the field of intellectual property law for five consecutive years from 2006 to 2010. She was also honored by the Asia Society as a rising Asian leader through its Asia21 Fellows program in 2007.
Work Experience
Dr. Song rejoined KWM in January 2023, having previously served as a partner at KWM between 2004 and 2007. Prior to returning to KWM, Dr. Song was Associate General Counsel at NBA, overseeing its China operations, a former Law Professor at Loyola Marymount University Loyola Law School, a former Senior Advisor at several international law firms based in the United States, and a former Senior Counsel at Disney overseeing its IP matters in the APAC region.
Dr. Song received her first LL.M. degree from Hong Kong University and her second LL.M. and J.S.D. (Doctorate of the Science of Law) from University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She is admitted to the California Bar of the United States.
Dr. Song’s working languages are Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
