CopyrightX – Comparing U.S. and European Copyright Law and Policy

Informationen und Hinweise

Course Description

CopyrightX is a 12-week course on U.S. copyright law and policy developed by Professor Terry Fisher and led by Professor Ruth Okediji at Harvard Law School. It is hosted and supported by the HarvardX distance-learning initiative and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. Through a combination of pre-recorded lectures, readings, seminars, live webcasts, and online discussions, the participants in these courses examine and assess the ways in which law seeks to stimulate and regulate creative expression.

It consists of a residential course at Harvard Law School, an online course, and a network of affiliated courses offered by several universities and other institutions outside the United States.

“CopyrightX: Comparing U.S. and European Copyright Law and Policy (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Munich, Germany)” is one of these affiliated courses. It is taught by Diana Liebenau.

By German law school standards, CopyrightX is an unusual course in four respects.

1. Pedagogy: Each week before class, students watch a pre-recorded lecture by Professor Fisher (approximately 90 minutes). Students are also required to read the materials provided in the syllabus. In class, we will discuss case studies which explore in more depth the law and theories introduced in the recorded lecture and the readings. Instead of distributing an outline or powerpoint slides, the course uses mind maps to summarize the course takeaways.
2. Curriculum: Classes on theory and law alternate. The course has a strong focus on policy to enable students to participate in recent debates on intellectual property with an opinion informed by theory. The course also has a comparative angle.
3. Logistics: Any student at LMU can attend the course. However, registration and regular attendance is required if students wish to obtain a certificate. Regular attendance means not missing class more than twice. The language of instruction is English. It is not a prerequisite for students to have taken Professor Ohly’s lecture on German and European Copyright or Introduction to international IP law.
4. Network: CopyrightX is a networked course so that residential, online and affiliated courses are designed to be parallel. There is an opportunity (not an obligation) to interact with these other groups of students through webcasts with invited speakers in Harvard and an online discussion forum. However, due to the fact that the course takes place in the U.S. spring semester, the Munich course will take place partially in the semester break.

Course Material

Course materials will be available on Moodle (password in announcement).

Syllabus

Week 0 – Introduction to the US Legal System (with Respect to Copyright)
Week 1 – The Foundations of Copyright Law
Week 2 – Fairness and Personality Theories
Week 3 – The Subject Matter of Copyright
Week 4 – Welfare Theory
Week 5 – Authorship
Week 6 – The Mechanics of Copyright
Week 7 – The Rights to Reproduce and Modify
Week 8 – The Rights to Distribute, Perform, and Display
Week 9 – Fair Use
Week 10 – Cultural Theory
Week 11 – Supplements to Copyright - Secondary Liability and Para-copyright
Week 12 – Remedies/review for exam prep

You will need to (1) watch the lectures and (2) do your reading each week prior to class.

The course is taught in person.

Registration

Registration and regular attendance is required if students wish to obtain a certificate.

If you want to attend the course, register by email:

recipient: dawn-yvette.ehlermann@jura.uni-muenchen.de
subject line: Registration CopyrightX 2023
deadline: December 5, 2022
Please attach your CV and transcript of records

Registration is complete.

Exam information

LL.M. and Erasmus students: You cannot take this course for academic credit.
State exam students: You cannot take this course to fulfil the mandatory language requirement according to Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsordnung für Juristen (JAPO).

The exam will be a take-home exam. Exact start and end times as well as more details TBA.

You will write the official HarvardX exam for the online sections and will be issued an official certificate.

 Current updates

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