Department of English

In this course, we will look at the history of copyright law and� explore the ways that copyright has both responded to new media and� driven art and entertainment. How, for example, is a new medium� (photography, film, the Internet, etc.) defined in relation to� existing media? What constitutes originality in collage painting, hip� hop music, or computer software? What are the limits of fair use? And� how have artists, engineers and creative industries responded to� various changes in copyright law? A major focus of the course will be� the lessons of history for the current copyright debates over such� issues as file sharing, the public domain, and fair use.