Copyright Law

In this course we will explore the rapidly evolving law of copyright. Students will gain an understanding of the broad application of the subject, as we will learn how copyright, originally conceived to protect print publications, has been expanded to protect music, works of art, photography, film, television and digital works, including software. The course will focus on a comprehensive overview of United States copyright law, including the rules of cyberspace in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and will also touch on international copyright issues. Students will gain an understanding, critical in today's information age, about the private and public interests protected by copyright law. All content is either protected by copyright or in the public domain. Therefore, we will spend time learning to identify whether and for how long a work is protected. To gain an understanding of when copyrighted works may be used without the owner's permission, the class will discuss many copyright defenses, especially far use. The class will be encouraged to think critically about how well copyright duration, the breadth of the exclusive rights, and how well copyright law has worked to encourage creativity in business, the arts and sciences.