Copyright Law

Catalog description

This course provides students with an introduction to copyright law in the United States, focusing on the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. The course covers basic concepts such as subject matter, authorship, duration and formalities and introduces students to the exclusive rights conferred by U.S. copyright law: the right to authorize reproduction, preparation of derivative works, distribution, public performance, display and transmission. The class addresses infringement of these exclusive rights, including the increasing importance of concepts of secondary liability in this context, as well as fair use and other limitations to the enumerated rights. Class discussions incorporate the impact of the Internet on both the delineation and enforcement of exclusive rights and the effects of recent technological and legal developments on specific copyright-reliant industries. Graded.