Study

This advanced seminar examines current debates concerning intellectual property, the public domain and free speech, focusing in particular on digital copyright. The goal is to look at issues of academic interest but also considerable practical importance surrounding a central question: how is the public interest defined and defended in formulating the balance between intellectual property and the public domain?The class will begin by exploring tensions between intellectual property law and freedom of expression, as well as challenges posed by new technologies, in both the United States and European Union. The class will then cover case law and legislation in both the US and EU in two contentious areas of information regulation: database protection and digital copyright. The class will conclude with an examination of current cases, legislation, and debates, including the controversies surrounding peer-to-peer file sharing, user generated content, and video sharing sites such as YouTube.Grades for the seminar will be based on class participation, Sakai postings, and a final paper.

Enrollment Pre-/Co- Requisite Information

Prerequisites or co-requisites: either IP (Law 270), Copyright Law, Patent Law, or Trademark Law

Fall 2013

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
724.01	Course Credits 3		Jennifer Jenkins
Sakai site: https://sakai.duke.edu/portal/site/LAW.724.01.F2013
Email list: LAW.724.01.F2013@sakai.duke.edu