Michael Jones

Michael E. Jones

Adjunct Faculty

College
Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Digital Media and Legal Studies
Phone
978-934-3494
Office
Mahoney Hall, 1st Floor
Email
Michael_Jones@uml.edu

Expertise

Leading global expert in copyright, law, AI, ethics, authorship, digital transformation

Research Interests

Michael E. Jones’s research interests span sports, media, entertainment and art law, with a particular emphasis on intellectual property, ethics, and emerging technologies. He has written extensively on copyright, trademark and publicity rights, and his recent work explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping traditional notions of authorship and creativity. From advising Olympic athletes to analyzing legal frameworks for AI-generated art, Jones brings a multidisciplinary lens to the evolving intersections of law, technology and culture. His scholarship not only addresses doctrinal legal questions but also probes the deeper human and ethical consequences of rapid digital innovation.

Education

  • MLA, Harvard University
  • JD, School of Law, University of Miami
  • MBA, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • BA, Economics, Denison University

Biosketch

Michael E. Jones is Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a leading global expert in sports, media, entertainment, and art law. His research centers on intellectual property, ethics, and the legal implications of emerging technologies, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence. Jones has authored ten influential books exploring copyright, trademark, and publicity rights, and his most recent work examines how AI is redefining creativity, authorship, and cultural value. He has advised Olympic athletes, museums, and creative professionals at all levels, and brings a multidisciplinary approach that bridges law, technology, and the humanities. Jones has served as a Visiting Scholar at the University of London and a Fulbright-Nehru Specialist in India. At the Santa Fe Institute, he has shared his insights on technology’s impact on sports and society with Nobel Laureates and Silicon Valley venture capitalists. His work challenges audiences to grapple with questions of fairness, governance, and the human consequences of technological transformation.

Professor Jones has been a prominent figure in the world of sports for decades. More than 40 years ago, he authored the first textbook on Sports Law specifically designed for sports administration students, faculty, and agents—published by an imprint of Simon & Schuster—paving the way for a new academic field. He was the inaugural chair of the International Section of the American Bar Association’s Forum Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law. Alongside the late Professor Bill Weston, he co-founded the first organization dedicated to training lawyers and professionals to negotiate contracts for sports and entertainment clients—an initiative that was later acquired by the National Football League Players Association.

In addition to advising professional athletes, Jones developed a distinctive legal niche representing celebrity chefs as they built national and international brands. His personal athletic accomplishments are equally impressive: he qualified for the Olympic Trials in swimming, earned medals in track at the prestigious Penn Relays, and captured national titles in both swimming and cross-country running. As an elite triathlete, he claimed numerous national and international championships.

Jones has held leadership roles within the USA Olympic triathlon organization (USAT), including chairing multiple committees and shaping policy. A pioneer in athlete safety and integrity, he has helped craft SafeSport policies, addressed the use of performance-enhancing drugs, and contributed to the development of guidelines for transgender athlete participation. He has reviewed ethical concerns as a member of the Ethics Committee for USA Diving and currently chairs the Ethics Committee for USA Shooting. On the international stage, Jones represents the United States on the World Triathlon Tribunal, a global dispute resolution panel for multisport governance. At the Tokyo Olympics, he was appointed as an appeals judge, helping adjudicate high-stakes decisions at the world’s most prominent sporting event.



In 2019, Jones was named a Fulbright-Nehru Specialist by the U.S. State Department. Under this program he taught Intellectual Property at the Jindal Global University Law School in Sonipat, India. Earlier, he held a distinguished appointment as a Visiting Professor at the University of London. Recently, he addressed the renowned think tank, Santa Fe Institute, as external faculty.

Professor Jones is well known as a visual fine artist. For five consecutive summer Olympic Games he has designed and created the official sport of triathlon poster for the U.S.O.C. His oil paintings have appeared on numerous PBS television sets for cooking shows.

His interest in athletes began at an early age when he competed at the highest level as a swimmer and runner, where he qualified for the Olympic Trials as a sprinter in one event and medaled as middle- distance runner at the Penn Relays in the other. Later he became an elite triathlete winning numerous international and national championships.

His service to sports includes being named the inaugural chair for the International Forum Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law by the American Bar Association. For decades he has adjudicated non-performance enhancing disputes for various Olympic governing bodies. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the USA governing body for the sport of triathlon. He has taken a national leadership role in addressing safe sport and transgender participation issues.

Jones is a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for Provincetown Arts magazine. Previously, he was vice-chairman of the board for First Finest Company, a regional bank holding company and chairman of the board for Pelham Bank and Trust, now a part of Sovereign Bank. His public service also includes representing the public as a four-term state legislator and serving twenty-two years as a trial court judge.

Professor Jones’ publications are extensive. They include more than twenty-five legal articles in leading peer-reviewed publications and six books either authored or edited. The latter are Intellectual Property Law Fundamentals (editions 1 and 2, co-authored, 2019, Carolina Academic Press), Art Law (2016, Rowman & Littlefield), Rules of the Game: Sports Law (2016, Rowman & Littlefield), TIMELESS: The Photography of Rowland Scherman (co-edited, 2015, New England Press), Sports Law (1981, Simon & Schuster), Current Issues in Professional Sports (edited, 1979, UNH Press).

Selected Awards and Honors

  • Fulbright-Nehru Specialist (2019), Teaching - U.S. State Department
  • Outstanding Teacher (2010) - University of Massachusetts Lowell

Selected Publications

  • Jones, M. (2019). Intellectual Property Fundamentals 2nd edition (Carolina Academic Press).
  • Jones, M. (2016). Art Law (Rowman and Littlefield).
  • Jones, M. (2016). Rules of the Game: Sports Law (Rowman & Littlefield).
  • Jones, M. (2015). Copyright and the Arts. Provincetown Arts, 93.
  • Jones, M. (2015). TIMELESS: The Photography of Rowland Scherman .
  • Jones, M., Toomey, W.J., Aiken, N., Bazin, M.D. (2014). Intellectual property law fundamentals. Carolina Academic Press
  • Jones, M., Bazin , N. (2014). Intellectual Property Law Fundamentals (Carolina Academic Press).
  • Jones, M. (2014). Using Service-Learning to Teach Intellectual Property Law to art students: a collaborative museum and university partnership. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 7(1) 227.
  • Jones, M. (1981). SportsLaw (Simon & Schuster).
  • Jones, M. (1979). Current Issues in Professional Sports (editor, UNH Press).

Selected Presentations

Professor Jones has authored more than two dozen law and business journal articles published in leading academic and professional outlets. His books reflect a sustained and evolving inquiry into the intersections of law, culture, and emerging technologies. His earlier work includes "TIMELESS: The Photography of Rowland Scherman" (co-author, Peter Randall Publishing, 2014), followed by "Intellectual Property Law Fundamentals," 2nd edition (co-author, Carolina Academic Press, 2018). His more recent publications include "Art Law" 2nd edition (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024), "Sports Law and Society," 2nd edition (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024), and "Digital Media Law and Ethics" (Bloomsbury Publications, 2025). His forthcoming book, "What Art Is Now: Creativity in the Age of AI" (Bloomsbury Publications, 2025/26), examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of creativity, authorship, and legal frameworks in the arts.

Film and Media

In addition to his written work, Professor Jones and his wife, the poet Christine Jones, co-produced the award-winning documentary Daughter of Rubens: Nancy Ellen Craig, which appeared as an official selection in the 25th Anniversary Provincetown International Film Festival in the summer of 2024. The film explores the life and legacy of the American painter Nancy Ellen Craig and reflects the Joneses’ shared commitment to preserving and celebrating artistic voices across generations.

Selected Artistic and Professional Performances and Exhibits

  • Art - Exhibition, Competitive (U.S. Olympic Committee through IOC) - Colorado Springs, CO
  • Art - Exhibition, Invitational (PBS)