International & Comparative Copyright Law

What does copyright deal with nowadays? Is it software, databases and multimedia works, or is there still a place for books, music, films and artistic works? Or do related rights in sound recordings and broadcasts take over?

Is copyright primarily an author’s right or do the right to copy and commercial exploitation take centre stage? What does originality mean in relation to all these different categories of works? Why do we require it? Is there any role left for moral rights?

This module takes a comparative approach to all these, and many more, fundamental questions in relation to copyright in the 21st century. We examine the various works that are protected, the conditions for protection and the scope of that protection. Copyright exemptions also figure prominently. Above all we try to identify the role of copyright in our society. What purpose does it serve and how does it relate to freedom of expression and other fundamental rights?