CopyrightX

Global Curriculum

Spring 2013

Prof. William Fisher

 

All of the materials for this course are available online, by following the links in the syllabus below. The lecture notes for the course, in the form of two interactive PDF "maps," may be downloaded from the following website: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/tfisher/IP/IP Maps.htm

 

Week 1

Lecture: The Foundations of Copyright Law

Readings:

• The International Framework of Copyright Law
• Painer v. Standard Verlags GmbH (European Court of Justice, C-145/10, Dec. 1, 2011) [Follow the links to read the Court’s judgment in the language of your choice. Pay particular attention to the Court’s comments on the “fourth question.”]

Week 2

Lecture: Fairness and Personality Theories

Reading:

• William Fisher, “Theories of Intellectual Property,” in Stephen Munzer, ed., New Essays in the Legal and Political Theory of Property (Cambridge University Press, 2001)

Event (Feb. 6, 7:00 p.m. EST): The Interests of Authors

• Speaker: Dale Cendali

Week 3

Lecture: The Subject Matter of Copyright

Readings:

• Virginie Ulmann, “Architectural Copyright in France” (2010)
• S.K. Verma, “IP Protection of Software and Software Contracts in India,” 17 Journal of Intellectual Property Rights 284 (2012)

Event (Feb. 13, 7:00 p.m. EST): IP Protection for Fashion

• Speakers: Jeannie Suk & Chris Sprigman

Week 4

Lecture: Welfare Theory

Reading:

• P2P Foundation, Cultural Flatrate

Week 5

Lecture: Authorship

Readings:

• William Patry, "A Whiter Shade of Joint Authorship," December 21, 2006
• “Analysis of International Work-for-Hire Laws” (2004)

Event (Feburary 27, 7:00 p.m. EST): Extralegal Norms

• Speakers: Dotan Oliar & Jim Mendrinos

Week 6

Lecture: The Mechanics of Copyright

Readings:

• WIPO, "Copyright Registration and Documentation"
• "Sofrtware Copyright Registration in China," UK Intellectual Property Office, December 2012
• Brian Caplan, "Navigating US Copyright Termination Rights," WIPO Magazine, August 2012

Week 7

Lecture: The Rights to Reproduce and Modify

Readings:

• Copyright Entitlements
• Temple Islands Collective Ltd. v. New English Teas Ltd., [2012] EWPCC 1

Week 8

Lecture: The Rights to Distribute, Perform, and Display

Readings:

• Copyright Entitlements (review)
• WIPO, “Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances is Concluded,” June 26, 2012
• Electronic Frontier Foundation, “Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances: We Need to Read the Fine Print,” July 24, 2012

Week 9

Lecture: Fair Use and Misuse

Readings:

• Copyright Exceptions and Limitations
• Painer v. Standard Verlags GmbH (European Court of Justice, C-145/10, Dec. 1, 2011) [Follow the links to read the Court’s Judgment in the language of your choice. Pay particular attention to the Court’s comments on the “question 3.”]
• Nunez v. Caribbean International News Corp., 235 F.3d 18 (1st Cir. 2000)

Event (April 3, 7:00 p.m. EST): Appropriation Art

• Speakers: Shepard Fairey, Marita Sturken & Geoffrey Stewart

Week 10

Lecture: Cultural Theory

Readings:

• Traditional Knowledge
  

Week 11

Lecture: Supplements to Copyright: Secondary Liability and Para-copyright

Readings:

• Urs Gasser, “Legal Frameworks and Technological Protection of Digital Content” (2006)

Event (April 17, 7:00 p.m. EST): Free Culture

• Speaker: Larry Lessig

Week 12

Lecture: Remedies

Readings:

• Copyright Litigation
• Meir Feder, Edwin Fountain & Geoffrey Stewart, “What’s Wrong with the Copyright Regime,” in Fisher et al., “The Hope Poster Case,” 25 Harvard Journal on Law and Technology 244 (2012)
• Pamela Samuelson, Phil Hill & Tara Wheatland, "Statutory Damages: A Rarity in Copyright Laws Internationally, But for How Long?," 60 J. Copyright Soc'y U.S.A. (forthcoming 2013)

Event (April 24, 7:00 p.m. EST): Orphan Works and Digital Libraries

• Speakers: Robert Darnton, John Palfrey, Brewster Kahle

 

Version 2.0

Last modified: February 16, 2013

William Fisher

Email: tfisher@law.harvard.edu
Homepage: tfisher.org