Introductory description

Intellectual property is the currency of creative and media enterprises. In this module you will examine the legal, policy and commercial mechanisms through which intellectual property is managed. Management refers to the exploitation and protection of intellectual property both by organisations and individuals and at the level of government policy and legislation. You will explore the conflicts between different legal, commercial and political imperatives for managing intellectual property through case studies, seminars and presentations by visiting experts.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The course is divided into three parts. The first section of the course, The Legal Framework, introduces basic legal and managerial concepts of intellectual property and intellectual property rights. The second part of the course, Managing Intellectual Property, explores practical dilemmas in the management of intellectual property through a series of case studies and guest lectures. In the final part of the course, From Management to Policy; Public v Private Domain, we consider the policy issues and concepts which underpin this legal and managerial framework, and examine future trends and issues for policy.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of basic definitions of intellectual property and intellectual property rights.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the legal and managerial systems through which intellectual property rights are exploited, regulated and managed, nationally and internationally.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles, ideals and concepts which lie behind intellectual property rights and intellectual property law.
• Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary issues and debates which challenge the legitimacy and efficacy of intellectual property law.
• Gather, interpret and present evidence, with which to analyse the management and regulation of intellectual property in the creative and media industries.
• Question the assumptions and consequences behind legal cases involving intellectual property rights in the creative and media industries.
• Reason critically and debate interpretations.
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of different modes of analysing intellectual property rights in the creative and media industries.
• Formulate and present an argument or case convincingly to a group of people.
• Communicate learning, both orally and in writing.
• Work collaboratively with others in seminar presentations.

Indicative reading list

Boyle, James (1996): Shamans, Software and Spleens: Law and the construction of the information society (Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press)

Caves, Richard E (2000): Creative Industries: contracts between art and commerce (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press)

Goldstein, Paul (1994): Copyright’s Highway; from Gutenberg to the Celestial Jukebox ( New York: Hill & Wang)Harrison, Ann (2000): Music : the business : the essential guide to the law and the Deals (London : Virgin)

Howkins, John (2001): The Creative Economy: How People Make Money From Ideas (London: Penguin)

Hyde, Lewis (2010): Common as Air: Revolution, Art and Ownership (New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux)

Kearns, Paul (1998): The Legal Concept of Art (Oxford: Hart Publishing)

Lessig, Lawrence (2004): Free Culture ( New York: Penguin) and other publications

Lessig, Lawrence (1999): Code : and other laws of cyberspace ( New York: Basic Books)

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

Murray, Laura J (2014): Putting Intellectual Property in its place; rights discourses, creative labour and everyday creativity (New York: OUP)

Pang, Laikwan, (2012): Creativity and its discontents: China’s Creative Industries and Intellectual Property Rights Offenses (Durham, NC: Duke University Press)

Perzanowski, Aaron & Schultz, Jason (2016): The End of Ownership: Personal Property in the Digital Economy (Cambridge Massachusets: MIT Press)

Rose, Mark (1993): Authors and Owners; The Invention of Copyright (Harvard University Press, Cambridge Massachusetts, London England)

Stokes, Simon (2014): 4th Edition Digital Copyright: law and practice (Oxford: Portland Or: Hart)

Taplin, Bruce (2017): Move Fast and Break Things: How Google, Facebook and Amazon have Cornered Culture and What it Means for Us (London: PanMcMillan Ltd)

Vaidhyanathan, Siva (2001): Copyrights and copywrongs: the rise of intellectual property and how it threatens creativity (New York London: New York University Press)

Subject specific skills

Understanding of basic definitions of intellectual property and intellectual property rights, legal and managerial systems through which intellectual property rights are exploited, regulated and managed, nationally and internationally. Understanding of the principles, ideals and concepts which lie behind intellectual property rights and intellectual property law and of contemporary issues and debates which challenge the legitimacy and efficacy of intellectual property law.

Transferable skills

Gather, interpret and present evidence. Question the assumptions, reason critically and debate interpretations
Identify strengths and weaknesses and present an argument or case convincingly to a group of people. Work collaboratively with others in seminar presentations and solve problems, arising from seminar presentations and written assignments.