MA in Art Law and Arts Management > Copyright Law (national – international)

Copyright Law (national – international)

Τeaching hours and credit allocation: 56 hours, 10 credits

This module aims at providing a fully comprehensive analysis of copyright law. This analysis will take place against the background of European, international and comparative law. In general, this module focuses on the legal protection conferred on copyright. A copyright is a set of exclusive rights conferred by a state to the creator of an original work or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for public disclosure of the work. This module will enlighten various debates surrounding copyright law. Students will have the opportunity to study the wider context in which intellectual property is produced and copyright law applies. This means that students will study the rationales, as well as, specific areas of copyright. The module will focus, among others, on issues relating to acquisition of rights and on their infringement and enforcement. Additionally, various aspects of copyright with regard to arts and cultural property will be discussed. The ambitions of this module are to equip lawyers willing to become specialized in copyright law with the essential knowledge, to assist their professional development and to sharpen their critical ability. Thus, they will be able to manage copyright law in practice. Apart from the examination of core areas of copyright law, students will focus on contemporary copyright issues of particular topicality, which are becoming more and more important from a legal point of view (internet, public domain, human rights).

Students will be able to:

  • Understand why copyright matters
  • Understand the acquisition of copyright, as well as its infringement and enforcement.
  • Understand the various sources of copyright law (both, domestic and international).
  • Understand the topics regulated by the EU copyright directives.
  • Understand the importance of copyright for cultural policy and for global culture industries
  • Understand the relationship between copyright law and artistic works
  • Be aware of the existence of new areas where copyright law will be called to play a major role (“hot topics”).
  • Understand major policy issues with regard to the amendment of copyright law.
  • Understand the relationship between digital environment and copyright law
  • Appreciate the economic, social and moral effects on the evolution and operation of copyright law
  • Identify the length of copyright protection
  • Understand the role of copyright law in international trade relations.
  • Examine the ownership of an original work
  • Understand the wider context of copyright law
  • Understand the difference between moral and economic rights
  • Understand the exceptions to the rights conferred by copyright.
  • Be aware of the fact that copyright law changed as rapidly as the character of the global economy.

Content

  • The origin and development of copyright: history, rationale and subject matter
  • International copyright law – international conventions and aspects of private international law. EU copyright law.
  • Copyright works, fixation and originality, and secondary works
  • Authorship, ownership and duration of copyright
  • Economic rights and infringement
  • Infringement: the restricted acts, primary infringement, authorization and secondary infringement.
  • The permitted acts: fair dealing, criticism and review, reporting current events, and the public interest defense.
  • Moral rights
  • Exceptions, technical protection measures and contracts
  • Dealing with copyright
  • Civil and criminal remedies
  • Copyright and the new technology
  • Comparative aspects of copyright. Other topical issues