Purchase College, Summer 2014 M/W 6:30 10:05 pm DRAFT SYLLABUS for ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LAW AMG 3170 Laura R. Ricciardi, Esq. laura.ricciardi@purchase.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is an introduction to fundamental legal and business concepts that affect artists and arts managers, with an emphasis on copyright protection and infringement. Students will learn the basics of copyright and contract law, analyzing both contracts and relevant case law. This course will explore additional legal concepts that affect the arts & entertainment fields, including privacy, defamation, moral rights, and free speech protection. LIBERAL STUDIES OUTCOMES The ability to articulate and communicate clearly in written and spoken forms Research skills including the ability to analyze and synthesize information To think critically, independently and creatively Core knowledge of the field and related concepts, theories and ideas Analysis and application of law and legal concepts COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the course, students will be able to: Derive a legal rule or principle from a series of cases Αpply a legal rule or principle to a set of facts Parse through conflicting strains of logic Analyze contracts and draft revisions Deconstruct arguments Structure claims with supporting evidence Synthesize case law Negotiate on behalf of a client REQUIRED TEXTS There is no textbook for this course. Required readings will be posted on our course Moodle page. Students are expected to read the material and bring either a printed copy of the material or a device on which the digital version can be accessed during class. Additionally, there will be several books on reserve at the library to serve as additional written resources for this course.
ATTENDANCE POLICY This course is designed to focus on in-class activities. A great bulk of the coursework will be completed in class. It is for this reason that class attendance is of the utmost importance. Students are expected to arrive to class on time and prepared to participate. Students will be allowed two (2) absences without penalty. Any subsequent unexcused absence will result in a 2-point deduction from the student s final average. Egregiously late arrival or early departure may be considered an absence. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY The Purchase College Academic Integrity Policy explicitly forbids cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. Violation of any of the above will result in formal disciplinary action, which can range from a failing grade in the course to expulsion. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with Purchase College Academic Integrity Policy (www.purchase.edu/policies/academicintegrity.aspx), particularly with the definition of plagiarism (Section III.A.2) and the acceptable methods of attribution. Any student who has questions or doubts about whether an activity is academically permissible should check with the professor as soon as the question arises. The claim of not knowing that a given activity was wrongful will provide no defense or excuse. EMAIL & MOODLE This course is designed to be dynamic. The course schedule may change throughout the semester. It is for this reason that students are expected to check their Purchase email accounts regularly. For instructions on receiving email via smartphone, visit: https://planet.purchase.edu:8443/display/ctskb/email+support. All written work must be submitted on Moodle by 6pm on the due date, unless otherwise noted. To familiarize yourself with Moodle, visit: www.purchase.edu/studenttutorial. ACCOMMODATIONS Any student requiring classroom and/or testing accommodations due to a physical or learning disability must first register with the Office of Special Student Services at (914) 251-6390 or accomodations@purchase.edu before accommodations can be arranged.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & ASSESSMENT Assignments (15%) There will be several written assignments submitted for grading throughout the semester. These will be worth 15% of your final grade. Mid-quarter Exam (20%) There will be one exam given early on in the semester to assess the students understanding of the foundational concepts of the course. This will be worth 20% of your final grade. Negotiation Memo & Contract (25%) Students will participate in a negotiation simulation, after which they will write a 3-5 page reflection on the exercise and submit a written contract with the terms of the agreement. The reflection paper will be worth 10% of your final grade, and the contract will be worth 15% of your final grade. Final Exam (25%) Your final exam will be worth 25% of your final grade. Class Participation (15%) The success of this course depends on its students and their engagement in class. Students are not expected to come to class with all the answers, but rather ready to learn and participate in a meaningful way. Group work is a key component of this class, and students are expected to be cooperative and collaborative with their classmates. Class participation will be worth 15% of your final grade. Optional Extra Credit Assignment You may complete an extra credit assignment to replace your lowest grade on any assignment, excluding the final exam. Choose a topic relating to a core concept of the course or an area of interest in the arts & entertainment industry, and conduct original research on the topic, analyzing the legal implications of the issue. Your paper must be 7-10 pages in length, or you may propose a non-conventional format. All topics & formats must be submitted for approval by July 2nd. SUBMISSION & GRADING POLICY All assignments must be submitted via Moodle before class or handed in to me at the beginning of class. Please do not email your assignment to me. You may always contact me via email with any questions, but I cannot accept assignments via email. If you are having trouble with Moodle, please print out your paper and bring it to class. Assignments submitted after the due date will be marked late. For every week that your assignment is late, seven (7) points will be deducted (one point per day). If you are absent for an in-class exercise or presentation, barring a reasonable excuse, you will receive a zero for that assignment.
COURSE SCHEDULE Please note that the course schedule is outlined below, but we may move ahead or spend a longer time than expected on a given topic. Any changes to the syllabus and course schedule will be announced in class and posted on Moodle. Class Date Topic Due on this date June 9, 2014 Introduction to the course Copyright Basics: Ownership & Piracy No reading assignment June 11, 2014 Music Sampling, Attribution & Fair Use Assignment 1 June 16, 2014 June 18, 2014 June 23, 2014 Digital Issues in Copyright Film: Good Copy, Bad Copy Torts & Celebrity Rights Privacy, Right to Publicity, & Defamation Obscenity Law & Free Speech Moral Rights & High Art Reading 1 Assignment 2 Reading 2 Assignment 3 Reading 3 Prepare for exam! June 25, 2014 Exam Prepare for exam! June 30, 2014 Contract Basics & Disputes Contract Review: Conan, The Bachelor, Atlanta Hawks July 2, 2014 Partnerships & Corporations Assignment 4 Introduction to Negotiation & Drafting Reading 4 July 7, 2014 Negotiation Simulations Prepare for in-class negotiation July 16, 2014 Negotiation Simulations Reading 5 July 21, 2014 Media Ethics: Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Violence, and Reality TV Negotiation Memo & Contract Reading 6 Exam Review July 23, 2014 Final Exam Prepare for exam!