74767 - Copyright Law

Academic Year 2020/2021

  • Docente: Alberto Musso
  • Credits: 7
  • SSD: IUS/04
  • Language: English
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Law (cod. 0659)

    Also valid for Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Legal Studies (cod. 9062)

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed to let the students have: 1) a general knowledge of the basic grounds of Italian, European and International law on Copyright, such as the object and the scope of copyright, the distinction with moral rights, the duration, the transfer, etc.; 2) a more analytical knowledge of a specific subject-matter periodically chosen by the teacher (e.g. copyright in motion pictures, copyright in informatics, copyright in artworks or literature and so on). As a consequence, this course is suggested not only for future lawyers and practitioners in this domain, but also for students of visual arts, informatics, literature, etc., who need to improve their legal notions on these features.

Course contents

Analysis of the general principles and the main provisions laid down in International Agreements or EU Directives on Copyright and Neighboring Rights. National provisions - e.g. from US, GB, French, Italian, German, Chinese Copyright Law(s) - may be examined in order to find out the enactment/enforcement of the above mentioned international rules, through a comparative approach.

Integrative contents shall be determined by the teacher for students who must fulfill credits from other courses/exams, according to the rule of the School of Law.

Readings/Bibliography

Besides the sources indicated in the "teaching tools" and "teaching methods" section, the following handbook is suggested for non-attending students: - J. BLOMQVIST, Primer On International Copyright And Related Rights, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar (paperback edition), 2014, pp. 1 - 241. The handbook may be ordered in bookshops or bought online through the publisher's website (http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/primer-on-international-copyright-and-related-rights?___website=us_warehouse) or other on-line booksellers.

Teaching methods

Lectures shall deal with the more essential provisions in International and EU Copyright Law (see Course Contents), as well as the essential case law.

The knowledge of these provisions and cases, as well as the main comment discussed in class, will be the sole subject-matter of the exam for steadily attending students (instead of the handbook above mentioned). Before the exam, a specific list of these cases & materials, analyzed during the lectures, shall be published on this website.

Assessment methods

For both attending and non-attending students, the exam takes place in oral form, and consists of 3-4 open questions on the entire program.

The program is the same for both internal and Erasmus, Overseas, etc, Students.

Students attending the Course, on their option, may accept questions on topics that the textbook does not particularly deal with, but that were extensively examined during the lessons. In any case, no discrimination between students attendant and not-attendant will be done.

Nonetheless the attendance of the lessons will be valuable to reach a deep understanding of the subject matter and it will constitute a reason of priority – together with the result of the exam – for the final dissertation on Copyright Law.

The evaluation of the test will be carried out taking into consideration the knowledge of the legal institutes, the ability to analyze the different interpretative guidelines, the ability to make connections between the different parts of the program, the ability to develop critical arguments, the articulation of exposure, the exposure accuracy.

Examination lists are only available trough the "AlmaEsami" system.

Examination lists are only available trough the "AlmaEsami" system by booking the exam in due time. No requests of exams will be accepted out of the Almaesami List or if not booked in due time.

Exams shall be also fixed in the periods lawfully determined by the Dept. windows of time. Therefore, the first exams for this course shall be fixed during the week 21-24 May 2019 (the exact date, depending on the rooms availability, shall be communicated on the Almaesami Platform and at lesson around next March or April).

Please, avoid to make requests of "pre-exams" before the regular dates since all Students (including Erasmus, Overseas, etc.) are requested to stay in Bologna the time necessary to attend all the course and to have their regual exams. Unless exceptional and documented cases of necessary return back for foreing students - approved by the International Dept. Office - no request of such kind shall be taken into consideration.

Teaching tools

In addition to the suggested handbook, the main text of (a) the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (latest version adopted in Paris, July 24th, 1971), (b) the "Trips" Agreement (as for the copyright provisions only), (c) the twin "WCT" and "WPPT" WIPO Treaties (d) the EC Directive No 2001/29 (e) the EU Directive No 790/2019, will be the fundamental sources of positive law. Moreover, some excerpts of relevant CJEU decisions have been selected for the purposes of this course and will be made available on AMS Campus (see the section "Links to further information"). The excerpts of the CJEU decisions are part of the course program.

Students who, due to disability or specific learning disorders (DSA), need compensatory tools shall communicate to the teacher their needs so as to be directed to the relevant persons and agree on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

Links to further information

http://campus.unibo.it/172575/

Office hours

See the website of Alberto Musso

SDGs

Industry, innovation and infrastructure Peace, justice and strong institutions

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.