Study

This is a comprehensive course in copyright law. We will examine the legal rights used to protect works of creative expression such as literature, music, film, photography, artworks, and choreography, but also – interestingly, and perhaps anomalously – software, something the Supreme Court just addressed in 2021. The class will cover some of the fundamental pillars of the world of creative expression in which we all live—the economic and legal architecture of our culture. This is because copyright’s rules provide the economic incentives that influence our creative output as well as part of the legal framework that shapes our communications technology.  In the digital world, copyright is implicated in everything from the “digital rights management” used by streaming services to the “safe harbors” that protect search engines and social media from liability when they index or host content that might be infringing. Copyright’s protections also interact with free speech—when is it a “fair use” to use a copyrighted work in the course of free expression? The broad impact of copyright law means that it is of importance to a wide range of legal practice and not merely to the specialist. No technical background is needed.

Spring 2022

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
322.01	Course Credits 3	Final Exam	Jennifer Jenkins
Sakai site: https://sakai.duke.edu/portal/site/LAW-322-01-Sp22
Email list: LAW-322-01-Sp22@sakai.duke.edu