Corsi di Studio del Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza

Copyright is the law that applies to human creativity in all its forms of expression, such as language, colours, shapes and sounds. This course focuses on copyright law in its international and comparative dimensions. It provides knowledge of the relevant instruments of international law, as well as an understanding of key principles and doctrines applied in common-law and civil-law jurisdictions.

Having successfully completed this course, you are expected to be able to apply the relevant copyright principles, norms and legislative instruments to legal disputes arising from the use of creative expressions, both nationally and transnationally.

• Why copyright law? Historical development, rationale and justifications
• The international dimension of copyright: Berne Convention 1886 and beyond
• Subject matter of copyright: 1) the requirement of originality
• Subject matter of copyright: 2) expressions and not ideas, facts or information
• Scope of copyright protection: a balance between restricted and permitted acts
• The right to reproduce the work and the impact of digital technology
• The right to communicate the work to the public (online and offline)
• Permitted acts: the US “fair use” doctrine and the European system of “exceptions & limitations”
• Authorship and first ownership of the work
• The author’s “moral rights”
• Secondary liability and the exemptions for internet service providers
• Enforcement and remedies (essentials)

In presence. Lectures and seminars.

Please note that the classes will not be recorded or live streamed.

• Written assignment: 2,000 words essay on a topic agreed upon with the teacher, AND
• Oral examination

The textbook for this course is Extended Readings on Copyright by Matthew Sag. The text is freely available in word and pfd formats at the following Dropbox link:

NB: Please be aware that the text is being regularly updated. Check the announcements for more information on the parts to read before each lesson.