This chapter considers two rights similar to copyright in many ways, in terms of both subject matter and the substantive contents of the rights: (1) the special or sui generis database right, which operates alongside the copyright in databases; and (2) performers’ rights. Both rights have been relatively recently introduced into the armoury of intellectual property law. The chapter gives an account of each of these rights, comparing them with copyright but also underlining the differences between the regimes, and the reasons behind these differences. The chapter considers relevant the relevant international and EU frameworks and also highlights the nature and importance of these rights.
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This chapter considers the evolution of modern copyright law against the background of its historical development in the UK and the international and European legal frameworks within which UK copyright law has been increasingly set since the nineteenth century. It examines the rationale and justifications for copyright and identifies the general policy context within which law and policy has developed in the UK and the EU. It also highlights the rapid development of new technologies which has brought copyright reform to the forefront in recent times, the difficulties which this new environment presents for the copyright framework, and how the framework has developed to such challenges.
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This chapter considers the wide range of sources that a law student will need to discover and explore in their legal studies for a range of different purposes. Guidance is given on different legal and other sources and their importance, including the difference between primary and secondary resources and their place in legal learning. Guidance is also provided on navigating the way to the right resources and using them to guide the student to greater understanding. This chapter considers the various resources available in the modern university, both traditional library resources and additional digital resources, and resources in the wider context of how these sources can be accessed and other study tools. This includes consideration of the ‘virtual learning environment’ or VLE.
