Archive:Modern United States Copyright Law

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Learning Project Summary

• Project code:
• No Prerequisites
• Time investment:
• Assessment suggestions:
  • Scholarly Discussions with others about Copyright Law from 1976 onward, and relevant Case Histories: 35%
  • An In-Depth Essay about Modern Changes in Copyright in relation to a particular field, technology, or Art: 35%
  • Developing course content as you see fit: 30%
• Portal:
  • Copyright Law
• School:
  • School of Law
• Department:
  • Intellectual Property Law Department
• Stream
  • United States Copyright Law
• Level:
  • Introductory level

Content summary

In this Learning Project, participants will learn about the state of copyrights in 1976, then about the series of changes that have occured since then. Participants will take time to focus on the Copyright Act of 1976, the effect by the Act on Mass Media and vice-versa, and the recent changes in Copyright law that have been passed. The Senate Report on the Extension Act of 1996 will be read and analyzed in detail, and the effects of the DMCA on our Digital Millenium will be introduced.

Goals

• Understand the reasons behind the Copyright Act of 1976 and how the Act changed American culture;
• A thorough knowledge of the 1996 Senate report on the Copyright Term Extension Act;
• To recognize the implications of the DMCA.

Learning materials

Texts

• Wikibooks:US Copyright Law
• Wikisource:Copyright Act of 1976
• Wikisource:Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998
• Wikisource:Digital Millenium Copyright Act
• Senate Report on the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1996 (Warning- large HTML page)
• The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (Warning- large HTML page)

Lessons

• Lesson 1- "'To Promote Progress':" The Institution of Copyright Before 1976.
• Lesson 2- "A Sign of the Times:" The Copyright Act of 1976: Purpose and Content.
• Lesson 3- "The Rise of Mass Media:" Effects of the Copyright Act of 1976 and the New Media Culture.
• Lesson 4- "'No Significant Cost':" The Senate Report on the Copyright Term Extention Act of 1996.
• Lesson 5- "'Effectively Controls Access':" The Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

Active participants

Active participants in this Learning Group

• AdamG