Copyright Course

Lesson 1 • Requirements for Copyright Protection

Covers the three core eligibility criteria: originality, fixation, and authorship. Students can apply these criteria to determine whether a work qualifies for protection.

Lesson 2 • Categories of Copyrightable Works

Surveys the major categories of protected works, from literary and musical to audiovisual and architectural. Builds vocabulary for analyzing protection across diverse creative formats.

Lesson 3 • Copyright Duration and Expiration

Explains how long copyright lasts for different work types and author categories. Students understand when works enter the public domain and why duration rules vary.

Lesson 4 • Automatic Protection and Registration

Clarifies that copyright arises automatically upon fixation and explains the practical benefits of formal registration. Connects registration to enforcement advantages covered in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Limitations Built Into Exclusive Rights

Surveys statutory limitations that narrow exclusive rights, such as library exemptions and educational carve-outs. Prepares students for the detailed fair use analysis in the next chapter.

Lesson 2 • Moral Rights and Attribution

Introduces moral rights—integrity and attribution—distinct from economic rights. Students understand where moral rights apply and how they affect creative professionals.

Lesson 3 • Distribution, Display, and Performance Rights

Covers the rights to distribute copies, publicly display, and publicly perform a work. Students distinguish between these rights and identify when each is triggered.

Lesson 4 • The Reproduction Right

Examines the right to copy a work in any medium and the threshold for infringement. Establishes the foundational right from which most infringement claims arise.

Lesson 1 • Transferring and Licensing Copyright

Explains how copyright ownership is transferred by assignment or licensed exclusively or non-exclusively. Prepares students for the detailed licensing chapter that follows.

Lesson 2 • Joint Authorship and Co-Ownership

Defines joint works and the rights and obligations of co-owners. Students identify when collaboration creates joint authorship and how co-owners may exploit the work.

Lesson 3 • Initial Ownership Rules

Establishes who holds copyright at the moment a work is created. Distinguishes individual authorship from employer ownership under work-made-for-hire doctrine.

Lesson 4 • Collective Works and Compilations

Distinguishes copyright in a compilation from copyright in its individual components. Students understand how publishers and editors acquire limited rights in assembled works.

Lesson 1 • Fair Use in Educational and Research Contexts

Applies fair use analysis to classroom, academic, and research settings. Students identify safe practices and common misconceptions about educational copying.

Lesson 2 • The Four-Factor Fair Use Test

Breaks down each fair use factor and explains how courts weigh them together. Provides the analytical framework students apply throughout the chapter.

Lesson 3 • Transformative Use Doctrine

Examines how transformation elevates the first fair use factor and shapes modern case outcomes. Students apply the transformative use concept to commentary, parody, and remix scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Other Statutory Exceptions and Safe Harbors

Covers exceptions beyond fair use, including safe harbors for online service providers and specific-purpose exemptions. Students distinguish fair use from these separate statutory defenses.

Lesson 1 • Open and Creative Commons Licensing

Explains open-content license frameworks and how they enable broad reuse with retained conditions. Students apply open license terms to real-world content decisions.

Lesson 2 • Sector-Specific Licensing Models

Examines licensing practices in publishing, music, film, software, and visual arts. Students recognize how industry norms shape standard deal terms.

Lesson 3 • Anatomy of a Copyright License

Identifies the essential clauses in any copyright license and explains each clause's function. Gives students a structural template for analyzing and drafting agreements.

Lesson 4 • Negotiating and Drafting License Agreements

Develops negotiation strategies and drafting techniques for common licensing scenarios. Students practice identifying red-flag clauses and proposing balanced alternatives.

Lesson 1 • Secondary Liability Doctrines

Covers contributory, vicarious, and inducement liability for parties who facilitate infringement. Students identify when a business or platform faces secondary liability exposure.

Lesson 2 • Elements of Copyright Infringement

Defines the two-part infringement test: ownership of a valid copyright and unauthorized copying. Students apply the test to factual scenarios to determine whether infringement occurred.

Lesson 3 • Cease-and-Desist and Takedown Procedures

Explains how to draft and respond to cease-and-desist letters and online takedown notices. Students practice both offensive and defensive responses to infringement claims.

Lesson 4 • Litigation Strategy and Dispute Resolution

Outlines the copyright litigation process and alternative dispute resolution options. Students weigh cost, speed, and outcome factors when advising on enforcement choices.

Lesson 1 • Software and Code Copyright

Applies copyright doctrine to source code, object code, APIs, and user interfaces. Students distinguish protectable expression from unprotectable functional elements in software.

Lesson 2 • Copyright and Artificial Intelligence

Examines authorship questions for AI-generated works and training data infringement risks. Students assess copyright exposure in AI-assisted creative workflows.

Lesson 3 • Streaming, Podcasting, and Online Distribution

Covers the licensing requirements for streaming audio, video, and podcast content. Students identify which rights must be cleared for each distribution format.

Lesson 4 • Copyright on the Internet and Social Media

Analyzes how uploading, sharing, and embedding content online implicates exclusive rights. Students identify platform terms of service as de facto licenses and their implications.

Lesson 1 • International Copyright Frameworks

Surveys the major international treaties that harmonize copyright protection across borders. Students understand national treatment, minimum standards, and treaty membership implications.

Lesson 2 • Emerging Issues and Future Trends

Surveys evolving copyright challenges including generative AI, NFTs, and global harmonization efforts. Students anticipate how emerging trends will reshape compliance and strategy.

Lesson 3 • Cross-Border Rights Clearance

Explains how to clear rights for works used or distributed in multiple countries. Students build a systematic clearance workflow for international content projects.

Lesson 4 • Building an Organizational Copyright Policy

Guides students through designing an internal copyright compliance policy for an organization. Connects all prior chapters into a practical governance framework.