History of Western copyright law

Learning Project Summary

 * Project code:
 * Suggested Prerequisites: No prerequisites
 * Time investment:
 * Assessment suggestions:
 * Portal:
 * School: School of Law
 * Department: Intellectual Property Law
 * Stream: United States Copyright Law
 * Level: Introductory.

Content summary
In this Learning Projects, participants will explore the origins of Copyright, exclusivity of creative works as it changes over time, and, by gaining perspective on the past, learn to see what is unique about the present. Starting with an overview of the pre-Statue of Anne publishing world and moving forward through the dawn of the computer, this program will guide participants through series of critical thinking assignments that will leave them well-prepared to see the "Big Picture" in reference to recent developments in Copyright Law.

Goals
This learning project offers learning activities to:


 * Understand why, when and how copyright came into being;
 * Recognize the effects the various exclusivity systems have had on Creativity;

Learning materials
These are the learning materials for this Learning Project. We will focus on using other MediaWiki projects, and adding content to them when needed.

Texts

 * Statute of Anne
 * Copyright Act of 1790
 * Copyright Act of 1909

Lessons

 * Lesson 1. "Shakespeare's Copyright Notice:" Publishing in the 17th century
 * An overview of the concepts of Copyright exclusivity in the pre-Statute of Anne years.
 * Lesson 2. "'For The Encouragement of Learning:'" The Statute of Anne in Great Britain
 * An analysis of the Statute of Anne and it's implications

Current Participants
Active participants in this Learning Group


 * AdamG