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Law and the Culture Industries - LAWS3039
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Faculty: Faculty of Law
 
 
School:  Faculty of Law
 
 
Course Outline: See below
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Postgraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 8
 
 
EFTSL: 0.16667 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Prerequisite: Academic Program must be either 9200, 9210, 5740 or 9230
 
 
Fee Band: 3 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description

This course considers the regulation of cyberspace. In 2008 there will be a particular consideration of future directions for the entertainment industries: Arts, Film, Broadcasting, Music, Gaming and Telecommunications. Innovation and technological convergence creates opportunities for new and enhanced leisure and social activities. These developments raise controversies in the industries affecting old media regulation, intellectual property laws, cultural policy, free speech, content regulation, competition and innovation policy. Regulation via national law reform, international treaties, industry bodies, industry standards, opinion makers, and technologies of control (digital rights management DRM, surveillance, tracking) are considered.


LLM Specialisation

Media, Communications and Information Technology Law.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

A candidate who has successfully completed this subject should:
  • Describe the challenges of regulation in this area
  • Identify the various pressures on the development of regulation
  • Assess possible future directions and conflicts
  • Demonstrate the above analytical knowledge and skills in relation to a case study

Main Topics

  • Overview of media regulation, innovation policy, intellectual property law, trade barriers, global policies affecting the internet and the entertainment industries
  • Technology as Liberation: the promise of technological convergence, mass access on demand to digitised content, high interactivity, freedom to create, innovate, distribute and trade
  • Regulation by global industry and technical standards
  • Innovation as Regulatory Disruption: Can IP, IT and Media law and the courts keep up with the pace of change?
  • The rights of user generated content: YouTube, MySpace, Blogs, FaceBook, Flickr, MySpace, Wikipedia, Google Library,
  • Big Media content online: entertainment franchises
  • Consumer Rights, Property and virtual property rights
  • Globalisation and information society policy
  • Regional approaches to cultural and telecommunications policy

Assessment

Short essay plan 500 - 1,000 words 20%
Research essay 5,000 words 80%
 

Course Texts

Prescribed
Refer to Course Outline provided by lecturer at the beginning of session.

Recommended
Kathy Bowrey, Law and Internet Cultures, (Cambridge University Press, 2005)

Resources

Refer to Course Outline provided by lecturer at the beginning of session.

URL for this page:

© The University of New South Wales (CRICOS Provider No.: 00098G), 2004-2011. The information contained in this Handbook is indicative only. While every effort is made to keep this information up-to-date, the University reserves the right to discontinue or vary arrangements, programs and courses at any time without notice and at its discretion. While the University will try to avoid or minimise any inconvenience, changes may also be made to programs, courses and staff after enrolment. The University may also set limits on the number of students in a course.