Please respond to the following essay question in as comprehensive a manner as possible:
Since the earliest days of the moving image media, legal instruments, processes, institutions, policy, and regulations have influenced the conditions in which films, TV, radio programming, video games, and other digital media are produced, distributed, and consumed. Meanwhile, the media industries have left their mark on the American legal system through lobbying, legal disputes, and even representing the law onscreen.
After all that we have studied this semester, what stands out to you as key to understanding how media industry, texts, and culture have been shaped by, and have shaped, those legal and regulatory frameworks? Be sure to discuss specific cases and examples related to:
- intellectual property law (copyright, trademark, and piracy)
- content regulation
- regulation of the media industries (antitrust, net neutrality, and tax law)
- and contract law.
What does that tell you about where the media is headed in the future?
Answers should be no more than 8 pages, double spaced, and properly formatted using MLA or Chicago format. See the course website for format guides.
Tips and reminders:
- In writing your responses, please keep in mind that answers will be graded according to how well you:
- demonstrate that you have done the work of the class
- understand key concepts covered in class related to media law and regulations
- can talk intelligently about the important cases and precedents that have played a role in the development of the media and the laws and regulations that govern it.
- Be sure to discuss the significant cases, shifts in law/regulation, and regulatory bodies that have played important roles in the evolution of these regulations.
- Show me what you know by incorporating specific examples from the homework and class discussions
- DO NOT use any sources other than the materials we used in homework and in class. You should not be doing any outside research to complete this exam. Remember: the point of the exam is to see how well you completed, understand, and can synthesize the material from this course, so focus on the work that you have done.
- When in doubt, be on the side of providing more information and detail as opposed to less