When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Copyright Law in the Music Business

Copyright Law in the Music Business

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructor: Dr. E. Michael Harrington

19,683 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

719 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

719 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll 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'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

12 assignments

Taught in English

91%

of learners achieved a positive career outcome

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is available as part of

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be asked to select a specific program.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

In this course taught by E. Michael Harrington, you 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. You will also learn what to do if someone copies your work and what to do if you 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.

Module details

Welcome to Copyright Law in the Music Business! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience. Then, we’ll start with the basics—what is copyright? What does it cover and who is it for? We’ll discuss the six exclusive rights granted to creators by the copyright law as well as the difference between copyright, trademarks, and patents. We’ll also discuss how to leverage the six exclusive rights as a creator to use the copyright law to your benefit.

What's included

7 videos4 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt

7 videosTotal 30 minutes

Welcome!1 minute
What You'll Learn in this Lesson1 minute
Overview of Copyright5 minutes
What Copyright Does NOT Cover3 minutes
The Difference Between Copyrights, Patents, and Trademarks5 minutes
The Six Exclusive Rights4 minutes
The Six Exclusive Rights in Depth11 minutes

4 readingsTotal 40 minutes

Course Resources10 minutes
Earn a Course Certificate10 minutes
Connect with Your Classmates5 minutes
Case Study: Sarah and Taylor Swift15 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 45 minutes

Review: Copyright and Intellectual Property15 minutes
Module 1 Quiz 30 minutes
Case Study: Sarah and Taylor Swift 0 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 5 minutes

Meet and Greet5 minutes

In this module, 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.

What's included

7 videos3 readings3 assignments

7 videosTotal 44 minutes

What You'll Learn in this Lesson1 minute
Co-writing3 minutes
Co-writing in Practice9 minutes
Fair Use7 minutes
Fair Use in Practice10 minutes
Independent Creation6 minutes
Returning Works to the Public Domain9 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Sign up for the full experience!10 minutes
Case Study: Kirsten Arian v. Carrie Underwood10 minutes
E. Michael's Analysis: Kirsten Arian v. Carrie Underwood10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 105 minutes

Review: Co-writing and Fair Use15 minutes
Module 2 Quiz30 minutes
Case Study: Kirsten Arian v. Carrie Underwood 60 minutes

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.

What's included

6 videos1 reading3 assignments

6 videosTotal 27 minutes

What You'll Learn in this Lesson1 minute
Composition Copyright and Sound Recording Copyright4 minutes
Sampling5 minutes
The Difference Between Sampling and Replay/Interpolation4 minutes
Legal Arguments Around Sampling and Replay/Interpolation9 minutes
Case Study: The Sugarhill Gang v. Busta Rhymes4 minutes

1 readingTotal 30 minutes

E. Michael's Analysis: The Sugarhill Gang v. Busta Rhymes30 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 100 minutes

Review: Copyright and Sampling10 minutes
Module 3 Quiz30 minutes
Case Study: The Sugarhill Gang v. Busta Rhymes 60 minutes

In this final module, we’ll take a deeper look at copyright law and litigation—the roles of lawyers and judges, the mechanics of a copyright lawsuit, and the various ways that copyright issues can be resolved.