Digital Media Distribution (JDM3619HF)

At a Glance

First Term
Credits
3
Hours
3

Enrolment

Maximum
21
6 JD
15 Faculty of Music, iSchool and Rotman School students

Schedule

F: 3:00 - 6:00
Instructor(s): Simon Stern, Don McLean, Sandy Pearlman, Paul Hoffert

3 credits (ungraded)

The course will be held on the following dates:
September 11
September 18
September 25
October 2
October 9
October 16
October 23
October 30
November 6
November 20
November 27
December 4

Note: The Blackboard program will be used for this course. Students must self-enrol in Blackboard as soon as confirmed in the course in order to obtain course information.

The course tackles the problem of digital media in the download age, its remonetisation for creators and other stakeholders, potential new business models, policy development, distribution structures, and intellectual property regimes. Students work with faculty within and across disciplinary boundaries and with distinguished guests from the field to create innovative outcomes, from white papers to possible start-ups. Students will be exposed to the existing situation through in-depth lectures and workshops from faculty and expert guests. Teams will be asked to create viable business models for new paradigms that will encourage creators/performers/supporters, respect radicalizing technology and intellectual property contexts, and establish viable and sustainable distribution models.

This is a multi-faculty course offering in association with various research and program centers: Faculty of Music (Institute for Canadian Music), Faculty of Law (Centre for Innovation Law), iSchool (McLuhan Program in Culture & Technology), Rotman School (Desautels Centre for Integrated Thinking). Other academic units may wish to join following the pilot course offering. The coordinators will consider applications from Arts & Science students on an ad-hoc basis, space permitting.

Evaluation
Students will write two short (500-750 word) reaction papers, responding to one of the readings or a presentation by one of the visiting speakers to the class. (20%) The final project for the semester will be a collaboratively created business model that will encourage creators/performers/supporters, respect radicalizing technology and intellectual property contexts, and establish viable and sustainable distribution models; the model should be approx. 5,000-6,250 words, and will be developed in groups of 4-5. Besides turning in the written product, students will also present the model (in groups) orally to a panel of visitors from the industry or policy world. (80%). This course is credit/no credit.