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Entertainment and Law in the Digital Age (LAWS30031)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Overview
Availability | July |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Entertainment adds amusement, diversion and enlightenment to the everyday lives of multiple individuals, groups and societies around the world. Law underpins its existence, and seek to balance interests between creators, investors, celebrities, fans, consumers and wider publics. Yet it faces severe disruption from new digital technologies, business models and social practices. Can entertainment survive in its current forms? Is law reform urgently needed? After an introductory review, we will move on to explore these questions in more detail through a series of case studies, focussing especially (but not exclusively) on the position in the US and Australia. In turn, students will develop their own case studies in guided workshops in the teaching week and subsequent research essays submitted for assessment after teaching is over.
Topics and case studies will include:
- Entertainment today
- Performing live
- Celebrities and fans
- The art of appropriation
- Music sharing
- Amateur production
- Imagining the future
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject students should:
- Recognise how existing relations of entertainment and law are being challenged and reshaped by the digital environment;
- Appreciate the multiple ways in which entertainment may be facilitated and constrained by law, including in the digital environment;
- Understand the basic features of the legal treatment of entertainment specifically in the context of the digital environment;
- Have in depth knowledge of at least one case study as a result of the subject and their research.
Generic skills
- Capacity for self-directed learning, specifically the ability to plan work and use time effectively;
- Cognitive and analytical skills;
- Ability to speak about complex ideas in a clear and cogent manner;
- An awareness of diversity and plurality;
- Experience in writing essays which develop structured argumentation; and
- Capacity to judge the worth of their own arguments.
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Because of the intensive nature of the subject and level of difficulty, it is strongly recommended that students have undertaken at least 100 points of undergraduate study including at least one of the following subjects in the Media & IP Law breadth track: Free Speech & Media Law (BLAW10002); Privacy Law & Social Networks (BLAW20002); Owning Ideas: Creation, Innnovation and Law (LAWS30017).
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Assessment
Additional details
- Participation in workshops (10%), including a 5 minute presentation of essay proposal in last workshop.
- Research essay proposal, 500 words (10%), due Monday after the end of teaching.
- Research essay, 3,500 words (80%), due three weeks after the end of teaching.
A minimum of 80% attendance at the workshops is a hurdle requirement.
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Dates & times
- July
Principal coordinator Megan Richardson Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 30 Total time commitment 136 hours Pre teaching start date 18 June 2018 Pre teaching requirements Students are expected to access and review the Reading Guide that will be available from the LMS subject page and the subject materials provided by the subject coordinator, which will be available from the Co-op bookshop. Teaching period 16 July 2018 to 20 July 2018 Last self-enrol date 22 June 2018 Census date 16 July 2018 Last date to withdraw without fail 27 July 2018 Assessment period ends 20 August 2018
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Printed subject materials will be available from the University Co-Op Bookshop.
- Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Last updated: 15 February 2024