This topic introduces students to copyright law and licensing for mass media. It gives them a brief overview of copyright law as a whole (i.e: basic rights of authors, fair use etc…) and addresses specific issues and solutions brought upon by the digital revolution (i.e: creative commons, streaming agreements etc…)
////////// COPYRIGHT LAW
Key concepts / terms
Copyright ♦ Public domain ♦ Fair Use ♦ Creative Commons
Resources
- Summaries of Fair Use Cases – Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center
- 15 Years Ago, Congress Kept Mickey Mouse out of the Public Domain. Will They Do it Again? – Washington Post article by By Timothy B. Lee
- Everything Is a Remix – Video series by Kirby Ferguson
- Everything Is a Remix: a Coda – NYT article on Jury’s decision in Stairway to Heaven case
////////// MUSIC LICENSING
Key concepts / terms
Mechanical License♦ Synchronization Rights ♦ Public Performance Rights
Resources
- Happy Birthday – On the Media Podcast by NPR
- New Evidence Should Free Happy Birthday – NYTimes article by Daniel Victor
- Happy Birthday Copyright Invalidated by Judge – NYTimes articles by Ben Sisario
- The Golden Age of Online Music is Over (and Another Is Beginning) – Atlantic article by Spencer Kornhaber
- The Music-Copyright Enforcers – NYTimes article by John Bowe
