About Copyright and Content Management

Copyright law stands at the forefront of law of the digital era, fostering and sometimes frustrating the creation and dissemination of human culture. By providing exclusive—but limited—rights to “original works of authorship,” copyright protects not just traditional media such as books, songs, and movies, but also electronic works found in YouTube videos, streaming media, and computer code. Because copyright issues are so prevalent in modern society, a modern lawyer should have a solid grounding in copyright law. This course covers major topics in domestic copyright law, such as originality, authorship, ownership, duration, the exclusive rights, infringement, fair use, and enforcement. It also pays close attention to the interplay of technology and law.

This course qualifies for skills credits. There is no curve. Grading will be based on class participation and a number of experiential projects. These projects are designed to integrate your understanding of copyright and content law, theory, practice, and professional values. This course also counts as a core course towards the St. Thomas Law Intellectual Property Law certificate program.