Music and Copyright

Catalog description

This course examines the interplay of music, technology, and law in capitalist societies. Developments in intellectual property law - particularly in the area of intellectual property law known as copyright - have profoundly shaped how music is created, experienced, and conceptualized. At the same time, technology-driven changes in music production and consumption have profoundly shaped intellectual property law. This course critically examines this dialectical relationship between music and law and its ramifications for both, by drawing together perspectives from music studies, legal studies, and a range of other disciplines. In addition to the central concerns of musical authorship, creativity, and piracy, topics include music copyright and institutionalized racism; the legal facets of musical heritage and repatriation; and copyright in music economies of the Global South.