Intellectual property is a leviathan of the digital era. The last decade has seen consistent augmentation of copyright laws in the face of open content, peer-to-peer distribution, and new distribution models. User rights such as fair dealing (Australia, UK) and fair use (America) have, by contrast, been weakened as intellectual property 'evolves' into something resembling real property. The digital era provokes debate over ownership of culturally ubiquitous works as a 'rip, mix and burn' aesthetic is hardwired into personal computers, software and mass approaches to digital content. This unit analyses the impact of the law on cultural production in the digital era. -- Course Website
Instructor: MMCCS staff
Prerequisites: (12cp in CUL or MAS units at 300 level or 42cp in LAW units at 400 or 500 level) or admission to MA or PGDipArts or PGCertArts
