Module Identifier LAM0520  
Module Title INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW  
Academic Year 2001/2002  
Co-ordinator Miss Allison Coleman  
Semester Semester 2  
Course delivery Seminar   2 Hours 1.5 hhours once a week  
Assessment Seminar presentation     20%  
  Essay   Students may choose one of the following: 1. 2 x 2500-3000 word essays. 2. 1 x 5000-6000 word essay.   80%  

Aims of the module


Piracy of goods is a major problem with pirated goods, produced in breach of intellectual property rights, especially copyright,
accounting for around 5% of world trade. The international community is attempting to counter this by harmonising laws and
law enforcement procedures through international agreement and political pressure. This module considers copyright protection
for authors, publishers, software houses and the sound recording industry; the public interest in the dissemination of
information; and the copyright issues in global information systems such as the Internet.

Objectives


The aims and objectives of this course are a thorough understanding of copyright law and its enforcement both domestically and internationally.


Students will become familiar with English Copyright law, then look at differences in the approach of other legal systems, such as those of the US, Continental Europe, Malaysia, China and Far Eastern Countries.


International Copyright conventions will be studied and detailed attention will be paid to the extent to which laws of developing countries and their enforcement procedures will have to change to combat copyright infringement.

Syllabus


1. Principles of English Copyright Law


Copyright, Patents and Designs Act 1988


Copyright works


Ownership of copyright


International protection


Duration of copyright term


Assignment and licensing


Permitted acts


Infringement


Moral rights


2. Important of copyright for trade, focussing on publishing, the sound recording insdustry and software houses.


3. Theories of copyright protection: comparing and contrasting the Anglo-American approach with that of continental Europe, the Far East and socialist countries.


4. Problems of Piracy
Piracy and developing world.


5. International Conventions for the protection of copyright
Berne Convention
Rome Convention
GATT TRIPS


6. Copyright and the European Community
Intellectual property v competition laws
Harmonisation and the Copyright Directives.


7. Copyright problems of global information systems eg Internet
(Please note that this syllabus is subject to change)