Spring 2017 Course Schedule

Advanced Copyright Law & Policy (LAW-924-001)
Robert Kasunic

Meets: 06:30 PM - 09:10 PM (W) - Warren - Room N104

Enrolled: 11 / Limit: 22

Administrator Access


Notices

There are no notices at this time.

Description

The rapid development of digital technology has affected all aspects of copyright law, including digital creation, adaptation, distribution, public performance, and display of works ranging from books, videos, websites, music, sound recordings, apps, programs, databases, dramatic works, and choreography. Traditional limitations on copyright, such as fair use and first sale, are also affected by these technological developments. But changes to the Copyright Act have not kept pace, resulting in recent congressional hearings on copyright reform and revision. Congress, the courts, and the Copyright Office struggle with these emerging issues as well as basic copyright doctrines, such as the copyrightablility of functional works, the standard for infringement, and the merger doctrine. This course will explore recent cases, such as the Blurred Lines infringement suit and the Varsity Brands case before the Supreme Court as well as congressional proposals. Topics for the course will vary based on student interests.

The primary focus of the course is the selection and development of a focused research topic of the student’s choice. This research paper may also be used to fulfill the upper level writing requirement in this course and LLM students are welcome. Class assignments will be selected to enhance critical analysis of case law and methods of statutory and regulatory interpretation.

Textbooks and Other Materials

The textbook information on this page was provided by the instructor. Students should use this information when considering purchases from the AU Campus Store or other vendors. Students may check to determine if books are currently available for purchase online.

No required textbooks. All readings will be available via links or on MyWCL.

First Class Readings

Search online for recent news articles on copyright issues and any issues that you are familiar with or interested in. For the first class, we will have a discussion about the major themes for the course and discuss current topics.

Syllabus

Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):