Matthew H. Birkhold has been selected by the Universität Luzern as the 2017 visiting researcher at the Institute lucernaiuris. The Institute is an international hub for the interdisciplinary study of law, dedicated to advancing pioneering academic work in foundational legal subjects (legal history, legal philosophy, legal theory and legal sociology).

In May 2017, Birkhold will present in the laboratorium lecture series on his first book project, “Borrowing Werther,” which examines 18th-century fan fiction and the rise of intellectual property. In particular, this project reveals the widespread existence of overlooked extralegal norms that regulated how second authors "borrowed" fictional characters invented by still-living authors around 1800. In addition, in summer 2017, the Institute will sponsor his stay in Luzern, where Birkhold will continue research on his second book project investigating the interrelationship of literature and the law of war from 1600-1900.