The creative and media industries are frequently described as the copyright industries. This module aims to:

• establish the relationship between creative production and IP law and examine IP law’s relevance and application within specific areas of creative practice.
• support and complement students learning on the Media Lab and Industry placement modules, equipping them with both theoretical and practical understanding of the legal frameworks in which they operate as media practitioners.
• consider the legal implications of authorship, ownership, distribution and control in the production and distribution of creative works.
• examine the aesthetic, economic, technological and philosophical challenges that characterise debates about contemporary cultural practices and IP law.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate an understanding of basic definitions of intellectual property and intellectual property rights
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles, ideals and concepts which lie behind intellectual property rights and intellectual property law
• Define and understand the concepts of authorship, copyright works, ownership and copyright protection
• Demonstrate understanding of the role of IP in business development, branding and licensing practices within the creative industries
• Understand compliance with legal and best practice guidelines in the production of creative and media projects
• Communicate what they have learnt, both orally and in writing
• Work collaboratively with others in seminar presentations
• Solve problems, arising from seminar presentations, written assignments and applied work

Indicative Bibliography

Cooper, E. (2018) Art and Modern Copyright: The Contested Image (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)

Cvetkovski, Trajce (2013): Copyright and Popular Media: Liberal Villains and Technological Change (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan)

Frederiksson, Martin (2014) ‘Copyright Culture and Pirate Politics’ (Cultural Studies 28:5-6, pp. 1022-1047)

Lessig, Lawrence (2008): Re-Mix – Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy (Bloomsbury)

McIntyre, Phillip (2012): Creativity and Cultural Production: issues for media practice (New York: Palgrave Macmillan) (e-book)

Rahmatian, Andreas (2011) Copyright and Creativity: the making of property rights in creative works (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar)

Seiter, Bill, and Ellen Seiter (2012) The Creative Artist's Legal Guide : Copyright, Trademark and Contracts in Film and Digital Media Production, (Yale University Press)