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COPYRIGHT LAW

Core Module (10 ECTS)

Description

This module introduces students to the major issues of the European Copyright Law. Special emphasis will be placed on the modern issues of the EU Copyright Law in the light of their international context as well as on recent case-law by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).


Objectives

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to

  • Understand the competence and the rationale of EU Copyright harmonisation
  • Assess the interplay between the International Copyright Treaties and the EU Copyright Law
  • Interpret legal sources and literature in the field of the EU Copyright Law
  • Assess the impact of the EU Copyright Law on the national law of the Member States
  • Apply such knowledge in complex cases and offer creative solutions

Contents

Topics discussed comprise the law and policy of the EU harmonisation project with specific emphasis on certain Directives such as the Term Directive, the Information Society Directive, the Enforcement Directive, the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market etc. Beginning with the basic copyright principles, such as the absence of any formality, the idea/expression dichotomy, the notion of originality, the course intends to strike a fair balance between traditional copyright topics such as the subject matter of the copyright protection or the term of protection and more modern copyright topics including the right of communication to the public and its modern forms of hyperlinks, framing, uploading  as well as the liability of online service providers.


Academic Requirements

Participants are required to have at least some basic previous knowledge of Civil Law and Commercial Law.


Teaching method

The course will  be running  under  both  seminar  and  workshop  format,  which  requires  a high degree of student activity. Students are expected to write a paper and make a presentation based on the paper. Participants to the classes will be supported through the discussion of jurisprudence  and  administrative  cases,  as  well  as by  other  practical  cases  and  related legal materials.


Lecturers

The course is taught by Professor Paraskevi Paparseniou.


Assessment and testing

  • Oral exam, closed book (70%)
  • One short paper assignment presented orally in the class (30%)