Law 302D: Selected Topics
Advanced Copyright Seminar
Instructor:
Dr. Samuel E. Trosow
27 Law Building x82282
275D Middlesex College x88498
strosow@uwo.ca
Class Meetings:
Friday 9:30-12-20, Room 204
Office Hours:
27 Law Building, Thursday 1-3:30
275 D Middlesex , Wednesday 1-3:30
and by appointment
Description:
The course will be conducted as a seminar with students participating in
class discussions about assigned readings and their independent research.
The seminar will consider the historical, philosophical and economic foundations
of modern copyright law. The literature in each of these areas will be considered
throughout the term and the materials will be applied to selected problems
in contemporary copyright policy in the second part of the course. Drawing
on the background literature, students will select, in consultation with
the instructor, an individual topic for a research paper. The goal of the
seminar is to address questions concerning the proper design of a just copyright
policy to meet the needs of Canadian society in the information age.
Assessment:
- research paper: 100% (composed of the following components: annotated
outline (10%), a draft (10%), a class presentation (10%) and the final paper
(70%), due last day of class. The topic will be determined in consultation
with the instructor. The research paper satisfies the general writing
requirement of the Faculty of Law and may also satisfy the Information and
Technology Law area of concentration writing requirement.
- Class attendance and participation is mandatory.
Schedule and Readings:
(please note: Every student is not be expected to read all of the following
material. We will discuss dividing the readings in class).
Week 1 (February 14th): The Current Policy Environment
- Industry Canada (October 2002). Supporting Culture and Innovation:
Report on the Provisions and Operation of the Copyright Act. (Available online
at http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/rp00863e.html)
Week 2 (February 21st): Historical Foundations
- Aldis, H.G. The Book-Trade, 1557–1625. Vol. IV, Ch. XVIII in The Cambridge
History of English and American Literature <http://www.bartleby.com/214/1801.html,
et seq.>
- Aldis, H.G. Book Production and Distribution, 1625–1800. Vol. XI, Ch.
XIV in The Cambridge History of English and American Literature <http://www.bartleby.com/221/1401.html,
et seq.>
- Chartrand H.H.. (2000). “Copyright C.P.U. Creators, Proprietors &
Users,” Journal of Arts Management, Law & Society. 30(3). <http://www.culturaleconomics.atfreeweb.com/cpu.htm>
- Handa, Sunny. (2002) Copyright Law in Canada. Chapter 3 (pp. 27-57)
- Litman, Jessica. (1989). “Copyright Legislation and Technological Change.”
68 Oregon Law Review 275 (excerpts reprinted in Richard Chused, ed. A Copyright
Anthology, pp. 59-81)
- Patterson, Lyman Ray (1968). Copyright in Historical Perspective. Chapters
4 (pp. 42-77), 6 (pp. 114-142), 7 (pp. 143-150) & 8 (pp. 151-179).
- Rose, Mark (1993). Authors & Owners: The Invention of Copyright,
Chapters 2 (pp. 9-30), 4 (pp. 49-66), 5 (pp. 67-91) & 6 (pp. 92-112).
[or see Rose (1988), “The Author as Proprietor: Donaldson v. Becket and the
Genealogy of Modern Authorship, Representations 23: 51-85. (available via
http://www.jstor.org)
- Whale, R.F. (1971). Copyright: Evolution, Theory and Practice. Chapters
1 (pp. 1-15) and 2 (pp. 17-27).
- History of Copyright in France
- Hesse, Carla. (1990). “Enlightenment Epistemology and the Laws of
Authorship in Revolutionary France, 1777-1793.” Representations, 30: 109-137.
(available at www.jstor.org)
- Lough, John. (1978). Writer and Public in France: From the Middle
Ages to the Present Day. (pp. 78-91, 189-99, 224-26296-321, 384-392.)
- Pottinger, David T. (1958). The French Book Trade in the Ancien Regime
1500-1791 (Chapter XI, pp. 210-237).
- Primary Sources:
- Licensing Act of 1662 (13 & 14 Charles 2, c. 33)
- Star Chamber Decrees of 1586 and 1637 (reprinted in Patterson, Appendix
II)
- Millar v Taylor. 98 Eng. Rep. 201 (K.B. 1769)
- Donaldson v Beckett, 1 Eng. Rep. 837 (H.L. 1774)
- Wheaton v Peters, 33 US (8 Pet.) 591, 654-698, 8 L. Ed. 1055, 1078-1094
(1834) (or read chapter 10, pp. 203-212 in Patterson)
Week 3 (February 28th): Philosophical Justifications for Property: An
Overview
- Becker, Lawrence C. Property Rights: Philosophic Foundations.
Chapters 1 (pp.1-6) & 2 (pp. 7-23)
- Becker, Lawrence C. (1993) “Deserving to Own Intellectual Property.”
68 Chicago-Kent Law Review 609-29. (and see other companion articles
in Symposium on Intellectual Property Law Theory).
- Drahos, Peter. (1996). A Philosophy of Intellectual Property.
Chapters 1 (pp. 1-12) and 2 (pp. 13-40).
- Fisher, William. (2001) “Theories of Intellectual Property,” (pp. 168-200
in Stephen Munzer, ed. New Essays in the Legal and Political Theory of Property)
- Hamilton, Marci. The Historical and Philosophical Underpinnings of
the Copyright Clause. Occasional Papers in Intellectual Property #5 (Benjamin
Cardozo Law School) http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/ip_program/papers/5.pdf
- Hettinger, Edwin C. (1989). “Justifying Intellectual Property,” Philosophy
& Public Affairs 18(1): 31-52. (available at www.jstor.org). (reprinted
as Chapter 2 (pp. 17-37) Adam Moore, ed. Intellectual Property: Moral, Legal
and International Dimensions).
- Hughes, Justin. (1988). “The Philosophy of Intellectual Property,”
77 Georgetown Law Review 287. (reprinted as Chapter 6, pp. 107-177,
in Moore.) Part I, pp. 107-113.
- Macpherson, C.B. (1978). Property, Mainstream and Critical Positions.
Chapter 1 (pp. 1-13)
- Menell, Peter. “Intellectual Property: General Theories.” Chapter 1600
in Encyclopedia of Law and Economics (http://encyclo.findlaw.com/1600book.pdf)
Part A
- Waldron, Jeremy. (1993). “From Authors to Copiers: Individual Rights
and Social Values in Intellectual Property.” 68 Chicago-Kent Law Review
841-87.
Week 4 (March 7th): Lockean Approaches
- Becker, chapter 4 (pp. 32-56).
- Child, James W. (1990). “The Moral Foundations of Intangible Property.”
73 The Monist 578-600. (reprinted as Chapter 4, pp. 57-80, in Adam Moore,
ed. Intellectual Property: Moral, Legal and International Dimensions .
- Gordon, Wendy. (1993) “A Property Right in Self-Expression: Equality
and Individualism in the Natural Law of Intellectual Property.” 102 Yale
Law Journal 1533. (excerpts reprinted in Richard Chused, ed. A Copyright
Anthology, pp. 41-56)
- Hughes. Part II, A Lockean Justification (pp. 114-141 in Moore)
- Locke, John [1698]. Second Treatise of Government. Chapter V, On Property
(sections 25-51)
- Macpherson, Chapter 2 (pp 15-27).
- Shiffrin, Seana Valentine. (2001) “Lockean Arguments for Private Intellectual
Property.” (pp. 138-167 in Stephen Munzer, ed. New Essays in the Legal and
Political Theory of Property)
- Moore, Adam. “Towards a Lockean Theory of Intellectual Property.” Chapter
5 (pp. 81-103) in Adam Moore, ed. Intellectual Property: Moral, Legal and
International Dimensions. [and see Moore (2001) on reserve for more depth]
- Waldron, Chapter 6 (pp. 137-252)
Week 5 (March 14th): Hegel, Personhood and Autonomy
- Aide, Christopher. (1990). “A More Comprehensive Soul: Romantic Conceptions
of Authorship and the Copyright Doctrine of Moral Rights.” 48 University
of Toronto Faculty of Law Review 211-28.
- Cotter, Thomas F. (1997). “Pragmatism, Economics, and the Droit Moral,”
76 North Carolina Law Review 1, 6-27 (excerpt available online at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/ipcoop/cotter.html)
- Damich, Edward J. (1988). “The Right of Personality: A Common-Law Basis
for the Protection of Moral Rights pf Authors.” 23 Georgia Law Review
1-96.
- Drahos, Chapter 4 (pp. 73-94)
- Gendreau, Ysolde. (1994) “Moral Rights.” Chapter 5 in Gordon Henderson,
ed., Copyright and Confidential Information Law in Canada (pp. 161-200)
- Hegel’s Philosophy of Right (Property, sections 41-71, pp 40-57 in
Knox edition)
- Hughes, Part III, A Hegelian Justification (77 Georgetown Law Review
330-350, pp.141-164 in Moore, or available online at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/ipcoop/88hugh2.html).
- Radin, Margaret. (1982) “Property and Personhood” 34 Stanford Law Review,
957-1015. (excerpt available online at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/ipcoop/82radi.html)
- Waldron, Chapter 10 (pp. 343-89)
Week 6 (March 21st): Utilitarian Approaches
- Becker, Chapter 5 (pp. 57-74)
- Gordon, Wendy. (1982) Fair Use as Market Failure: A Structural and
Economic Analysis of the Betamax Case and its Predecessors.” 82 Columbia
Law Review 1600. (excerpts reprinted in Richard Chused, ed. A Copyright Anthology,
pp. 328-355).
- Landes, William M and Richard A. Posner. (1989). “An Economic
Analysis of Copyright Law,” 18 Journal of Legal Studies 325 (excerpt available
online at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/ipcoop/89land1.html)
- Macpherson, Chapters 4 (pp. 39-58) & 6 (pp. 75-99).
- Menell, Peter. “Intellectual Property: General Theories.” Chapter 1600
in Encyclopedia of Law and Economics (http://encyclo.findlaw.com/1600book.pdf)
Part A: Utilitarian/Economic Theories of Intellectual Property (pp 129-156).
Week 7 (March 28th): Democratic Theory, the Public Sphere and the Information
Commons
- Elkin-Koren, Niva. (1996) “Cyberlaw and Social Change: A Democratic
Approach to Copyright,” 14 Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal
215.
- Litman, Jessica. (1996). “Revising Copyright Law for the Information
Age,” 75 Oregon Law Review 19. (excerpts reprinted in Richard Chused, ed.
A Copyright Anthology, pp. 226-38).
- Macpherson, Chapters 3 (pp. 29-37) and 12 (pp.199-207).
- Netanel, Neil (1996). “Copyright and a Democratic Civil Society,” 106
Yale Law Journal 283 (excerpt reprinted in Chused Anthology, pp. 452-473)
- Duke Law School Conference on the Public Domain - November 2001. (index
and full text of conference papers available at www.james-boyle.com/papers.pdf)
- (each student will be assigned one of these papers)
Week 8 (April 4th): Critical Approaches
- Becker, Chapter 8 (pp. 88-98)
- Drahos, Chapter 5 (pp. 95-118)
- Macpherson, Chapter 5 (pp. 59-74).
- Trosow, Samuel. Chapters 4 & 5 in “Information for Society: Towards
a Critical Theory of Intellectual Property Policy.”
Week 9 (April 11th):
Week 10 (no class on April 18th)
The following books will be placed on reserve:
- Becker, Lawrence C. (1977). Property Rights: Philosophic Foundations.
[HB701.B42]
- Chused, Richard H. ed. (1998). A Copyright Anthology: The Technology
Frontier [KF2994.A2C644 1998]
- Drahos, Peter. (1996). A Philosophy of Intellectual Property
[K1401.D73 1996]
- Handa, Sunny. (2002). Copyright Law in Canada. [KF2994.H36 2002]
- Macpherson, C.B. (1978). Property, Mainstream and Critical Positions
[HB701.P753]
- Moore Adam D. ed. (1997). Intellectual Property: Moral, Legal
and International Dimensions. [K1401.I558 1997]
- Moore Adam D. (2001). Intellectual Property & Information Control:
Philosophic Foundations and Contemporary Issues. [KF2979.M66 2001]
- Munzer, Stephen, ed. (2001). New Essays in the Legal and Political
Theory of Property [K720.N49 2001]
- Patterson, Lyman Ray (1968). Copyright in Historical Perspective [KF2995.P3]
- Rose, Mark (1993). Authors & Owners: The Invention of Copyright.
[KF2994.R67 1993]
- Waldron, Jeremy. (1988). The Right to Private Property. [JC605.W36
1988]