Intellectual Property Policy and Law

fall 2006

| Dr. TyAnna Herrington | Skiles 23 | Office hours- 10-11:30 MW and arrangement| 404.894.6207 |
| tyanna.herrington@lcc.gatech.edu |

| WebBoard |


course materials

Intellectual Property Policy and Law provides an overview of intellectual property law and the policy issues that shape and drive it. Course participants examine the pragmatic aspects of the law to understand areas of product protection (such as trademark, patent, and copyright), the extent of protection afforded to creative products, limitations on product control, and operation of special treatment areas such as work for hire, among others). They also examine the effects of policy on interpretation, application, and creation of law within the frameworks of differing ideological structures, particularly as they are influenced by the Internet and digitized communication. Assignments include reading and discussion, hard copy critical analyses, and/or digital products.


description of assignments

readings/participation Students are responsible for all course readings on the day assigned. Failure to complete the readings can severely hinder ability to understand the information covered.

external reading responses Students will locate, summarize, and present material from 10 external article readings, during . These readings should form the basis of the analytical project and provide the rest of the class with a database of sources from which to draw information.

elements of reading response

assessment of author background, credibility, and position on IP law

explanation of general area of IP law covered and theme of article

characterization of the article's position within ideological and philosophical groundings

new points learned, reconsideration of issues, motivation toward new approach or thought

discussion of how this applies to project topic focus

analytical artifact Students will produce final analytical projects that will answer focused questions of their choice in intellectual property. They must ask and answer a specific question in an area of their choice in intellectual property. They may submit an analysis in a more traditional print-based medium or may choose to submit a project in a digital medium or combination of media. All projects must provide documentation to explain their theoretical bases, reasoning for technological media choices, a clearly explained synthesis of their ideas and choices, and a final artifact that answers the question asked. To enhance the learning of all course participants, students will present their findings in class.

projects will include

compilation of reading response articles already submitted for course credit,

proposal,

final artifact,

oral presentation of project


grading

readings/participation 10%

external reading responses 20%

analytical artifact 70%, broken down as follows:

-proposal 20%, -final artifact 40%, -presentation 10%


schedule of classes

aug

m 21- introduction to course

w 23- ideology and law

m 28- read Bolter foreword, Constitutional basis, balance, law and policy

w 30- read Patterson and Lindberg ch 9

sept

m 4- history, Patterson Lindberg ch 2

w 6- protections, copyright generally

m 11- copyright generally, contd

w 13- fair use

m 18- fair use, contd

w 20- work for hire

m 25- work for hire, contd

w 27- proposal discussion, discussion of potential topics

oct

m 2- read Jaszi and Woodmansee

w 4- research day to prepare bib for article summaries

m 9- read Karjala, begin article summaries and discussion

w 11- article summaries and discussion

m 16- recess

w 18- informal progress reports

m 23- continue informal progress reports

m 30- continue informal progress reports, read Herrington "The Interdependency of Fair Use and the First Amendment"

nov

w 1- proposal due, article summaries and discussion, discussion of oral presentation

m 6- DMCA

w 8- TEACH Act

m 13- continue article summaries and discussion

w 15- continue article summaries and discussion

m 20- continue article summaries and discussion

w 22- continue article summaries and discussion

m 27- presentations

w 29- presentations

dec

m 4- presentations

w 6- dast day of class - wrap-up all work due