LL4N6      Half Unit
Principles of Copyright Law

This information is for the 2020/21 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Martin Husovec

Other Staff Involved: Dr Luke McDonagh

Availability

This course is available on the LLM (extended part-time), LLM (full-time) and University of Pennsylvania Law School LLM Visiting Students. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

This course is capped at 30 students. Students must apply through Graduate Course Choice on LSE for You.

Pre-requisites

None

Course content

The course explains the foundations and structure of copyright law. It is aimed at those who have not studied the subject in detail before but also those wishing to deepen their understanding of copyright law in the comparative context. Topics to be covered will include the history and evolution of copyright, protected subject matter, the scope of the economic and moral rights, and the principles underlying copyright enforcement.

Teaching

This course is delivered through a combination of classes and lectures totalling a minimum of 20 hours in Michaelmas Term. Students will usually have two additional hours in the Summer Term. This year teaching will be delivered through recorded online lectures and a mix of both in-person and online classes to accommodate students who are unable to physically be on campus. This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of Michaelmas Term.

Formative coursework

One 2,000 word essay.

Indicative reading

Reading lists will be issued on a weekly basis. The legislation, cases and soft law instruments will make up additional required reading for this course. All of this material is available in electronic form via the Moodle site which supports the course. Useful texts include Lionel Bently and Brad Sherman, Intellectual Property Law 4th ed. (OUP, Oxford 2018); Thomas Dreier and P. Bernt Hugenholtz (eds.) Concise European Copyright Law (Kluwer, 2016); Paul Goldstein and P. Bernt Hugenholtz, International Copyright Law 3rd ed. (OUP 2019); and Eleonora Rosati, Copyright and the Court of Justice of the European Union (OUP 2019).

Assessment

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours, reading time: 15 minutes) in the summer exam period.

Important information in response to COVID-19

Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.

Key facts

Department: Law

Total students 2019/20: Unavailable

Average class size 2019/20: Unavailable

Controlled access 2019/20: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Communication
  • Specialist skills