History Of Copyright

You will prepare a research paper on one of the four topics below.  You may use a variety of reliable sources, but your main sources should be primary legal authorities (at least three).  The paper must contain a minimum of six (6) pages of text (not counting title page, footnotes, bibliography, etc.).  It should be double-spaced with normal margins and font size.             If you have completed Legal Research (LGL 383), your citations should conform to the The Bluebook.  If you have not completed Legal Research, you may use either APA, MLA, or Turabian format.  (Style guides for APA, MLA, and Turabian are available on the USM Library webpage.   Topics: Discuss the history and status of the copyright in the Sherlock Holmes character (created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887). Summarize the recent U. S. court decisions on this subject and discuss the legal analysis within these court opinions.   To what extent, and under what circumstances, can an architect or other party prohibit the use of photographs taken of a building or similar piece of architecture? Similarly, to what extent can the owner of such a building prohibit the construction of another building that is different from the first, but that nonetheless shares some of the same prominent features and elements?   Discuss the history of the copyright in the song, “Happy Birthday to You.” Summarize the most recent U. S. court decisions on this subject and discuss the legal analysis within those court opinions.   Explore the modern-day prevalence of non-traditional trademarks (e.g. smells, sounds).  Discuss at least three real-life examples of such trademarks and research their legal status (e.g. are they registered).  Discuss the legal analysis used in determining whether such devices qualify for trademark registration.