4.8
stars
611 ratings

Dr. E. Michael Harrington

13,618 already enrolled

Offered By

Berklee

About this Course

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In this course taught by E. Michael Harrington, students will learn the basis for copyright including what is and is not covered by copyright law. This course will help clarify what rights artists have as creators as well as what the public is free to take from their work. Students will also learn what to do if someone copies their work and what to do if they are accused of copying someone else. Finally, the course will discuss how technology has changed copyright for the better (and worse) and how copyright laws may change in the coming years.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

No prior knowledge of entertainment law, copyright law, or the music business is required to complete this course.

Approx. 10 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Explain the six exclusive rights of copyright law
Describe the concept of Fair Use and know when it applies and when it doesn't
Describe the various aspects involved in a copyright lawsuit
Differentiate between the composition copyright and the sound recording copyright

Skills you will gain

Create music legally
Read Legal Documents
Leverage the copyright law to your advantage
Write a co-writing agreement

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

No prior knowledge of entertainment law, copyright law, or the music business is required to complete this course.

Approx. 10 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.89/5 (139 Ratings)

Dr. E. Michael Harrington

Offered by

Berklee

Established in 1945, Berklee is at the forefront of contemporary music education, bringing its award-winning curriculum to more than 3.5 million students around the world. Currently comprising Berklee College of Music, Berklee Online, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee NYC, Berklee Summer Programs, and more, Berklee is shaping the key players of tomorrow’s music industry. With innovative programs in performance, production, business, theater, dance, and more, students come away from their Berklee experience with a professional portfolio, practical job skills, and a strong sense of community.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(1,765 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Welcome to Copyright Law in the Music Industry!

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 1 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

1 hour to complete

Copyright and Intellectual Property

1 hour to complete

6 videos (Total 29 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Copyright In Practice

In this lesson, we'll take a look at copyright law in practice. We'll begin by discussing the benefits and the potential legal pitfalls of a cowriting relationship. We'll also discuss the concept of fair use and identify examples of fair use in copyright. We'll take a look at the concept of independent creation and how that affects you as a creator. Finally, we'll discuss the public domain and learn how works enter, leave, and return to the public domain.

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 44 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

What You'll Learn in this Lesson1mCo-writing2mCo-writing in Practice8mFair Use6mFair Use in Practice10mIndependent Creation5mReturning Works to the Public Domain8m

3 readings

Join Your Study Group10mCase Study: Kirsten Arian v. Carrie Underwood10mE. Michael's Analysis: Kirsten Arian v. Carrie Underwood10m

2 practice exercises

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Sound Recording and Sampling

Sampling is commonplace in popular music today and this lesson focuses on the legal side of this popular creative process. We'll define the difference between a composition copyright and a sound recording copyright and how they function. We'll take a closer look at sampling from a legal perspective and compare it to another popular practice called replay (also known as interpolation). Finally, we'll discuss the current legal arguments around the practice of sampling and how they affect you as an artist.

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 27 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

6 videos

What You'll Learn in this Lesson40sComposition Copyright and Sound Recording Copyright4mSampling4mThe Difference Between Sampling and Replay/Interpolation4mLegal Arguments Around Sampling and Replay/Interpolation9mCase Study: The Sugarhill Gang v. Busta Rhymes3m

2 readings

Join Your Study Group10mE. Michael's Analysis: The Sugarhill Gang v. Busta Rhymes30m

2 practice exercises

Sound Recording and Sampling30mCase Study: The Sugarhill Gang v. Busta Rhymes1h

Week4

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Copyright Litigation

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 21 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

Reviews

4.8

138 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
11.62%
3 stars
2.29%
2 stars
0.32%
1 star
0.16%

TOP REVIEWS FROM COPYRIGHT LAW IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS

by JEJul 17, 2020

Excellent introductory course. Mr. Harrington answered many questions I have about copyright. His videos are entertaining, and include real-world situations. Thanks!

by VLApr 12, 2020

Thank you the opportunity. I want to thank the Coursera team and Michael for making it easier to get an in-depth understanding of the Copyright Law in Music Business. This will be very helpful.

by LBAug 28, 2020

I really enjoyed the theme of the course, everything was very well explained and I just loved the case studies! It's totally worth it!

by MGJun 8, 2020

Clear instruction. Loved the examples and case studies. Very interesting to learn the history of music copyright and how different artists and songs were affected by it!

View all reviews

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Is financial aid available?
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Copyright Law in the Music Business

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain