Intellectual Property

Overview

Wednesday, September 7, 11:00am-12:30pm
Format: Lecture, featuring guest respondents
Lead: William Fisher, featuring Charlie Nesson

Led by Terry Fisher, this pillar will begin with a brief history of key theories and issues related to intellectual property, with a focus on copyright, in the Internet space. By examining some of the hard problems and cases that have defined this field over the last decade, this session will explore some of the central questions that characterize current debates, including the wide spectrum of licensing options, the uncertainty about permissible uses associated with creative works, and the implications of cloud computing. Charlie Nesson will highlight questions regarding the public domain, free and fair use, and the need for digital copyright and public domain registries. This foundational pillar will lay the groundwork for two relevant use cases on User Innovation and Digital Libraries, Archives, and Rights Registries.

Required Readings

• Lawrence Lessig, Ch. 1, “Introduction,” Remix, (Bloombsbury Academic) 2008.
• “Copyright Criminals,” Independent Lens (PBS), watch PBS “Community Classroom” Video Module 1: “Hip-Hop and the Birth of Sampling.”
• Steve Greenlee, "Cooks Source probably shutting down," Boston Globe CultureDesk, November 17, 2010.

Selected Provisions of the Copyright Act

• Subject Matter of copyright: In general, 17 U.S.C. § 102
• Exclusive rights of copyrighted works, 17 U.S.C. § 106
• Infringement of Copyright, 17 U.S.C. § 501
• Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use, 17 U.S.C. § 107

Recommended Readings

• U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 1, “Copyright Basics,”.
• Peter B. Hirtle, “Copyright Term and Public Domain in the United States, 1 January 2011,” Cornell University Copyright Information Center (CC BY 3.0), skim all.
• Eldred v. Ashcroft, 537 U.S. 186 (2003), read excerpts.

Related Case Examples

Digital Libraries, Archives, and Rights Registries
User Innovation
Cloud Computing