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LWM90

Modern copyright law

Module information>

Academic Direction
UCL, Queen Mary àËÅöÊÓƵ
Modes of Study
Online

Copyright law is complex. The overall aim of this course is to provide you with both a general understanding of copyright law from a comparative perspective and to familiarise you with more contemporary debates.

Many debates centre upon very basic questions of the function and rationale of copyright protection in a modern society. It is not the objective of the course to introduce you to as many specific aspects, and respective judicature, as possible – the coverage of topics, literature and case law is selective, and you are advised to study this course in its entirety so as to acquire a good overview. Many current considerations concerning fundamental aspects, justifications and first principles are discussed in the context of more specific problems.

Module A: Principles, subject matter and international copyright convention law

LWM90A

  • Introduction to copyright
  • International conventions
  • The EU copyright framework
  • Subsistence, originality and subject matter
  • Originality and specific types of works

Module B: Ownership, transfers, rights

LWM90B

  • Ownership and transfer of rights
  • Economic rights
  • Moral (personality) rights
  • Technological enforcement: digital rights management

Module C: The public domain, limitations, exceptions and fundamental rights

LWM90C

  • Legal nature and current debates
  • Fairness in common law jurisdictions
  • Limitations and exceptions in the European Union Copyright Directive
  • Exceptions for transformative and referential uses and the impact of the EU Charter
  • Compulsory licenses and abuse of rights

Module D: Enforcement: intermediary liability, privacy and private international law

LWM90D

  • Liability of intermediaries: overview
  • Platform liability under Article 17 Digital Single Market Directive
  • Strategic enforcement and disclosure of user data
  • Cross-border enforcement: jurisdiction and applicable law

Assessment

Each module is assessed by a 45-minute unseen written exam.

Sequence

It is strongly recommended that you attempt the modules in order.

How to apply

You can apply to study a module individually as a standalone unit or as part of a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or Master of Laws qualification.

These modules also contribute towards the following specialist pathways for Laws:

  • Commercial and corporate law
  • Common law
  • Comparative and foreign law
  • Intellectual property law
  • International business law
  • International intellectual property law