Entertainment Deals (LAWS90079)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2025

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Overview

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This subject is concerned with the emerging field of entertainment law in three major jurisdictions, focusing primarily on Australia, and, in addition the United States (home to the largest entertainment law industry in the world) and the United Kingdom. The subject will consider significant strands of entertainment law, including especially:

  • Intellectual property rights in entertainment products (music, film, television, theatre, internet video games, publications, sporting events, etc);
  • Celebrities and their personality rights (privacy, ‘publicity’ and related rights); and
  • Contractual arrangements.

The emphasis will be on legal as well as practical aspects of the entertainment industry (including real-life scenarios and techniques of deal-making) and there will be a number of guest speakers with expertise in the field. The subject will conclude with a negotiation exercise which will draw together the above themes.

Intended learning outcomes

A student who has successfully completed the subject will be able to:



  • Identify, locate, reflect critically on and evaluate relevant research materials, including cases, legislation and other legal materials of a theoretical as well as practical nature;
  • Appreciate the way that law develops within a rapidly changing environment as well as the different approaches that may be adopted in different jurisdictions;
  • Generate effective and appropriate solutions to practical legal problems requiring application of national laws to actions undertaken in multi-jurisdictional environments;
  • Apply this understanding and analytical capacity to new situations and contexts; and
  • Communicate their analysis both in appropriate scholarly and professional formats and in the negotiation of deals in the entertainment space.

Generic skills

A student who has successfully completed this subject will:

  • Have an advanced and integrated understanding of key principles of entertainment law in Australia and comparable jurisdictions,
  • Be able to critically analyse, interpret and evaluate these legal principles in their practical application;
  • Have an advanced understanding of some of the key current debates and issues in the field of entertainment law;
  • Have the cognitive and technical skills to generate critical and creative ideas about entertainment law and practice, and to critically evaluate relevant legal theories, principles and concepts with creativity and autonomy; and
  • Have the communication skills to independently articulate and convey complex information regarding entertainment law and policy to relevant audiences.

Last updated: 4 March 2025

Eligibility and requirements

Prerequisites

Admission into the MC-JURISD Juris Doctor

AND

All of

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
LAWS50023 Legal Method and Reasoning
Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
 12.5
LAWS50025 Torts
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
LAWS50026 Obligations
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
LAWS50027 Dispute Resolution No longer available
LAWS50029 Contracts
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
LAWS50030 Property
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Corequisites

None

Non-allowed subjects

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
LAWS70273 Entertainment Law
Not available in 2025
 12.5
LAWS70080 Online Streaming, Film and TV Law
February (On Campus - Parkville)
August (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

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: 4 March 2025

Assessment

DescriptionTimingPercentage

Assessment 1: Class participation, including participation in the negotiation exercise

Throughout the teaching period10%

Assessment 2, Option 1: Research essay

  • 6000 words
5 Weeks after the end of teaching90%

Assessment 2, Option 2: Take-home examination

  • 5000-6000 words
3 Weeks after the end of teaching90%

Additional details

Note: Students must choose assessment from the options listed above. If an option contains parts, all parts must be completed if that option is chosen.

The due date of the above assessment will be available to students via the Assessment Schedule on the LMS Community.

Last updated: 4 March 2025

Quotas apply to this subject

Dates & times

Not available in 2025

Additional delivery details

This subject has an enrolment quota of 60 students. Your subject enrolment will not be confirmed until the selection process has been run. Selection is conducted on a random basis with outcomes communicated to students shortly after re-enrolment closes.  Please refer to the Melbourne Law School website for more information on the JD Quota Elective selection process.

Last updated: 4 March 2025

Further information

  • Texts

    Prescribed texts

    • Specialist printed materials will be made available from the Melbourne Law School.
  • Related Handbook entries

    This subject contributes to the following:

    TypeName
    CourseJuris Doctor
  • Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students

    This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.

Last updated: 4 March 2025