Units
Entertainment Law
Unit code: LWS008
Contact hours: 2
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
The entertainment industry involves a myriad of transactions and interactions that are governed by a wide range of laws. A basic of understanding of the laws most commonly encountered in the entertainment industry should assist those involved in the industry have a better understanding of the legal context in which they are operating. This in turn may assist them in avoiding problems, or to have a better appreciation of when they should seek professional legal assistance.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 1 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
The entertainment industry involves a myriad of transactions and interactions that are governed by a wide range of laws. A basic of understanding of the laws most commonly encountered in the entertainment industry should assist those involved in the industry have a better understanding of the legal context in which they are operating. This in turn may assist them in avoiding problems, or to have a better appreciation of when they should seek professional legal assistance.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to provide you with a introductory-level knowledge and understanding of the laws most commonly encountered in the entertainment industry and a better understanding of the legal context in which the entertainment industry operates.
Objectives
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. recognise and define possible legal issues in real world-type problems involving the entertainment industry;
2. apply the various laws commonly encountered in the entertainment industry to real world problems to demonstrate a introductory level knowledge and understanding;
3. apply an introductory level of knowledge and understanding in negotiation theory and practice when negotiating a contract in a real world context;
4. present concepts of law in plain English, clearly and logically through written communication;
5. evaluate and reflect upon your own performance and development in response to feedback provided in lectorials, and in the assessment of your assignment and multiple choice examination to identify gaps in knowledge and develop strategies for improvement.
Content
The material covered in this unit includes:
(a) Copyright law
- basic concepts
- particular issues in the entertainment industry
(b) Trademarks and designs
(c) Contract law
(d) Freedom of expression and relevant limits
(e) Taxation issues
Skills
In this unit you will commence to develop the following skills:
1. Problem solving;
2. Written communication;
3. Time management;
4. The ability to work independently;
5. Introductory-level negotiation and
6. Reflective practice.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
Learning and teaching will be by way of a programme of weekly two hour face-to-face ¿lectorials¿, comprising aspects of lectures and tutorials, and/or podcasts and other online materials.
Study Guide
The Study Guide for the unit provides an outline of relevant content, summaries of legal principles and tutorial exercises for each week of semester.
Lectorials
The lecture component of lectorials will focus on examining laws relevant to entertainment industries. The tutorial component will assist you to understand those laws by allowing you to relate your previous life experience, apply those laws to real world scenarios, and discuss feedback and seek additional support if required. They will also provide an opportunity to explore the theories and principles you have learned in greater detail, through engaging in discussion with fellow students and your lecturer/tutor. The tutorial components will assist your reflection on your learning (as described in the feedback section below), and your development of basic academic skills, understanding of academic practices and expectations of study time.
The lectorials are audio taped and made available through the unit's Blackboard site and are supported by PowerPoint presentations.
Online Materials
Online learning and teaching resources which provide feedback on student learning are available via the Blackboard site for this unit.
The Blackboard site will also provide a link to the Black Sceptre website, which contains the instructional video, quiz and briefing materials for the negotiation component of the unit.
Assessment
In this unit you will be graded on a scale of one to seven.
Overview of Assessment:
Summative assessment will be based on a negotiation role-play, a written essay and an end of semester closed book multiple choice examination.
Faculty Assessment Information
To access the Law Faculty Assessment Information see the Blackboard site for this unit.Feedback on the development of your understanding of the laws relevant to entertainment industries examined in this unit and the skills taught is provided through:
- The face-to-face tutorial components of the lectorials;
- The individual written feedback on your written essays;
- The generic feedback on the written essay placed on the unit's Blackboard site;
- The generic feedback on the examination placed on the unit's Blackboard site; and
- The option of private consultation with a member of the teaching team during student consultation.
You should reflect upon the feedback on your assessment in this unit (both your individual and generic feedback as provided on Blackboard) for the purpose of identifying:
- gaps in your knowledge and understanding of the legal principles;
- inadequacies in your problem solving methodology; and
- strategies to improve your problem solving, and communication skills in further assessment.
You should record your work, the feedback and your reflection, noting your strategies for improvement, in your Student ePortfolio. This links with learning outcome 5.
Assessment name:
Negotiation Exercise
Description:
The negotiation exercises are designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of the principles of negotiation as they apply in a real world setting. The exercise is based on an on-line computer program called Black Sceptre. Black Sceptre has two parts:
- an online instructional video
- a face-to-face role play.
You will be expected to watch the instructional video in advance of the role play.
The face-to-face role play is undertaken in your week 4 lectorial. You will be required to download or view certain briefing material from the Black Sceptre website in advance of the role play. You will be provided with additional briefing material at the beginning of the role play. At the conclusion of the role play you will be expected to record a "heads of agreement" document with your role play partner recording the agreement you have negotiated and which should reflect your knowledge and understanding of skill of negotiation. The same mark for the heads of agreement will be given to both partners involved in the role play.
Relates to objectives: 3
Weight: 10%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 11 Lectorial
Assessment name:
Essay
Description:
You will be provided with a real world-type fact scenario and required to identify relevant legal principles, to argue the application of those principles to the facts and suggest the likely outcome.
Word Length: 1500 words
Relates to objectives:
1-5
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 7
Assessment name:
Multiple Choice Examination
Description:
The examination will require you to choose answers from a number of possible options for a series of questions. Those questions will cover material from across the whole unit with the exception of the Black Sceptre program. Questions may be theory and/or short problem based.
Relates to objectives:
1, 2 and 5
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Examination Period
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
Prescribed Materials
There is no prescribed textbook for this unit.
Recommended References
S Simpson, Music Business 3rd ed 2006 (on-line resource available at http://www.simpsons.com.au/online-resources/music-business/)
B Sweeney, J O'Reilly and A Coleman, Law in Commerce, 4th ed, Lexis Nexis, Sydney 2010.
R Chisholm and G Nettheim, Understanding Law, 7th ed, Lexis Nexis, Sydney 2007.
C Cook, R Creyke, R Geddes and D Hamer, Laying Down the Law, 7th ed LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, 2009.
Butterworths Concise Australian Legal Dictionary, 3rd ed, 2004.
Blackboard site
Online resources for this unit are available on the unit blackboard site.
Risk assessment statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 05-Oct-2012
