Study Guides for Law Student Success

Available to the faculty and students as part of the West Academic Study Aids packages.


This title provides a clear and thorough exploration of the doctrinal and policy issues in American copyright law. In a style accessible to both students and practitioners, it covers every major topic in basic copyright courses. This new edition, updated through mid-2024, will become an essential resource for students and practitioners. Topics covered:
History of the development of authors’ rights and of copyright
Subject matter, including original works of authorship and artificial intelligence
Ownership, including works made for hire, transfers of ownership and termination of transfers
Duration and Formalities
Exclusive rights, including their transposition to the digital environment
Fair use, including the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith, and the operation of fair use in the digital and AI environments
Secondary liability, both at common law and as developed through application of the DMCA to Internet service providers
Enforcement, including “paracopyright” protections against circumvention of technological protection measures and for copyright management information
Federal preemption of state law, including with respect to mass market “browsewrap” licenses

This product offers a compact yet comprehensive and up-to-date overview of U.S. copyright law in an uncluttered and readable format. Coverage ranges from the fundamental concepts of originality, authorship, and infringement to the highly technical rules governing digital phonorecord deliveries and digital public performance rights in sound recordings, the safe harbor provisions that limit the liability of Internet service providers, and the anti-circumvention and copyright management information provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This updated edition includes detailed analysis of the changes introduced by the Music Modernization Act of 2018, as well as the creation of the Copyright Claims Board. The evolving doctrines of fair use and contributory liability are also given thorough attention.