HIS2427 – Intellectual Property, Piracy, and the Commons throughout History
Course description
Course content
What is intellectual property? Can authors own their ideas? Are pirates heroes or criminals? What are the commons, and can anyone govern them? The answers to these questions are contested and have changed over time. This makes history a central discipline to interrogate notions of piracy, the commons, and ownership as they have been applied in law, public debate, business, and politics.
Since their emergence during the early modern period, intellectual property rights have evolved into three main types: copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Questions emerged during this development: Should authors enjoy moral rights to their ideas, or should anyone be free to copy inventions and bring them to the market? Are patents positive or negative for innovation policies?
Since the nineteenth century governments increasingly started to harmonize national regimes of property rights as well. This eventually culminated in the creation of the World Intellectual Property Organization, in 1967, as part of the United Nations. The central question that arose then was about the dynamics between the West and the so-called developing countries. Were technologically developed countries trying to impose their legal system and trade regime on the rest of the world? And what place was left for the commons?
Such questions are often predicated on competing and conflicting views of what constitutes an inventor or artist. Using cases from literature, design and the visual arts, the music business, as well as the pharmaceutical industry, we will examine historical battles over intellectual property during this course.
Learning outcome
After you have taken this course, you are expected to be able to:
- Understand and discuss the dynamics of intellectual property, piracy, and the commons, situated in the wider context of early modern and modern history
- Explore the ways intellectual property has become a topic of interest to historians and historical research, situated in a trans-disciplinary context
- Critically read and discuss case studies on relevant aspects of property, piracy, and the commons
- Develop your skills in reading critically, thinking independently, and writing clearly, especially through the writing of your own essay on a topic related to the course.
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Recommended previous knowledge
30 credits in humanities or social sciences.
A good ability to read and understand English is required for this course.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with HIS4427 – Intellectual Property, Piracy, and the Commons throughout History.
Teaching
The course will be taught in the form of seminars (24 h) via discussion of assigned readings .
The course will take place over twelve double-hours during twelve weeks.
Students are expected to be present in class and engage in discussions and group work.
Resources and information in this course will be given in Canvas.
Compulsory assignments:
- an exposé of a research question relevant to the course, chosen by each student. ca. 500 words.
- a review of a relevant journal article or book. ca. 500-800 words
Both assignments will be part of the examination portfolio and can be revised after the first submission.
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
The examination will consist of an individual portfolio including:
- an exposé of a research question relevant to the course, chosen by each student. ca. 500 words.
- a review of a relevant journal article or book. ca. 500-800 words
- a final paper developing the exposé, max. 5 000 words. Please include the course code and candidate number (not your name) in the header and insert page numbers in the footer.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.