Exploring Copyright: History, Culture, Industry
Explore the meaning of the word 'copyright'
Have you ever thought about how a composer or a writer makes a living? This course will explore the history of creators becoming professionals. You’ll learn how copyright law developed from the idea that an artistic work is the property of its creator. You’ll discover how advances in communication, beginning with the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, have enabled the growth of the creative industries. We’ll also consider why the latest digital technologies present both opportunities and challenges for today’s copyright holders.
What topics will you cover?
- Key events in the development of the concept of authorship and the legal framework for the protection of intellectual work.
- The impact of technology for the economic, political and social aspects of those key events.
- The process of harmonisation of the guiding principles of national legislations for the protection of creators and artistic work.
- The formation of associations through which creators fight for rights and build an operational structure to take care of these rights.
- The internationalisation of the legal framework and the inauguration of the first multilateral agreements for the protection of intellectual work.
- Changes in the international treaties to account for the technological development and its impact on creative activity.
- Challenges for creators and other players in the creative industries, as well as for the legal framework, international and domestic, presented by digital technology and the new market arising from it.
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