"Barbie Enchiladas" from the Food Chain Barbie Series (1997) by Thomas Forsythe. Image courtesy of Tom Forsythe.
Chapman University
Spring 2024
honors 365: copyright/copywrong
Instructor Contact Information:
- Ian Barnard, Ph.D.
- Office: 428 N. Glassell #104
- Live Office Hours On Mondays and Wednesdays Via Zoom (email me to schedule)
- Email Office Hours: [email protected]
Land Acknowledgement (from Chapman's Wilkinson College website):
Wilkinson College believes all students should be taught the importance of recognizing land to understand the colonizing roots of academia and the way many fields of higher education have been used in the ostracizing, marginalization and disempowering (as well as the stealing of land, forced removal, and genocide) of communities. In doing so, we hope to inspire our students to use their education to challenge institutional and structural barriers to work toward equality, respect, and the lifting of their communities. Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences collectively acknowledges that Chapman University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Acjachemen Peoples in the Juaneño Territory, adjacent to our Tongva/Kizh neighbors to the North and Payomkawichum/Luiseño and Kumeyaay neighbors to the South. In addition, we recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of California’s 109 federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in California, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, and consistent with our values of community and diversity, acknowledge our responsibility to hold the university more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.
Catalog Course Description:
Course Learning Outcomes:
Honors Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completing a course in the University Honors Program students will have:
General Education Learning Outcome
Required Texts(available at the University Bookstore):
* = also on reserve in the Leatherby Libraries
Course Grade:
This course uses the contract grading system (also known as labor-based grading or engagement-based grading) that is becoming increasingly common in educational institutions. This means that I will not be “giving” you a grade at the end of the course; rather, you will determine and work toward your own grade, based on the criteria below. I will also not be assigning grades to individual class projects, but will give you plenty of feedback on your work. I use contract grading primarily for four reasons: 1) research has demonstrated that traditional grading practices are inequitable; 2) since what constitutes “good” or “bad” student work is subjective, contract grading gets rid of this kind of subjectivity because I will not be grading the content of your work; 3) I prefer to give you constructive feedback on your work, rather than have to rank you by assigning a grade to your work; 4) studies have shown that grades inhibit student learning, and students learn more and produce better work when they are not “writing for a grade.” It’s up to you to decide which grade you’d like to work for in this course—I won’t hold your choice against you; a student’s grade is not a comment on their intelligence or indicative of if they’re a good or likeable person or not!
Course Requirements (for more information about the major assignments, see assignment information below):
Attendance: seminar discussions are a central component of this course, so your attendance in class is crucial. You have four free absences to use for medical and other emergencies, no questions asked; you may miss a fifth and sixth seminar meeting without penalty if you give me advance notice and provide documentation of your emergency; if you miss more than four seminar meeting without advance notice or documentation of emergency, your final course grade will be negatively impacted. Note that you cannot pass the class if you miss more than six seminar meetings for any reason. According to the official university catalog, “The University recommends as a minimal policy that students who are absent 20 percent of the course should be failed.” However, I don’t want anyone to fail the course, so if you need to miss more than six seminar meetings, I will encourage you to withdraw from the course, and I’ll support your late withdrawal petition.
Extensions: each seminar member has three available extensions. These extensions are for one day, two days, and one week respectively. Each extension may only be used once throughout the semester and can be used on any assignment except the draft of your first project, draft of your second project, and presentation of second project. If you would like to use an extension, send me an email letting me know which extension you plan to use before the assignment’s original due date. The extensions enable you to turn in assignments late without penalty.
Major Assignments:
Course Policies:
Wilkinson College believes all students should be taught the importance of recognizing land to understand the colonizing roots of academia and the way many fields of higher education have been used in the ostracizing, marginalization and disempowering (as well as the stealing of land, forced removal, and genocide) of communities. In doing so, we hope to inspire our students to use their education to challenge institutional and structural barriers to work toward equality, respect, and the lifting of their communities. Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences collectively acknowledges that Chapman University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Acjachemen Peoples in the Juaneño Territory, adjacent to our Tongva/Kizh neighbors to the North and Payomkawichum/Luiseño and Kumeyaay neighbors to the South. In addition, we recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of California’s 109 federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in California, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, and consistent with our values of community and diversity, acknowledge our responsibility to hold the university more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.
Catalog Course Description:
- Prerequisite: acceptance to the University Honors Program or instructor consent. Description: Warnings about plagiarism continue to inundate the Chapman campus, academia as a whole, and the larger US culture. Why this plagiarism panic? Why did Los Angeles high school students sue turnitin.com? Why does an African novelist get accused of stealing a French author’s text, whereas Western artists are praised for their appropriations of African art? How important is vaccine trademark protection in the face of global pandemics? How do concerns about intellectual property shape understandings of inventions, ownership, authorship, intellectual collaboration, and writing tutoring? How are these understandings inflected by discourses of capital, nation, gender, sexuality, disability, and celebrity? What does “originality” mean amidst postmodern/postcolonial aesthetics and poststructuralist conceptions of subjectivity? This course will pursue these and other questions by engaging with a growing body of critical writing on issues around copyright and plagiarism, as well as court cases about trademark infringement and artistic theft, and artwork, films, rap music, music videos, and novels by artists who have been accused of plagiarism or have made fun of or otherwise responded to such charges. Students will have the opportunity to produce critical and creative projects as part of their own work for the course. The course topic crosses genres and disciplinary boundaries, addressing issues around intellectual property relevant to many fields of study. Letter grade. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- You will understand the theoretical debates from various disciplines around issues of plagiarism, copyright, and intellectual property
- You will develop your own carefully thought-out critical positions on these issues as a result of reading, writing, and seminar discussion
- You will demonstrate your understanding of the theoretical debates and their real-world implications through producing critical and creative projects in various media that intervene into these debates
Honors Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completing a course in the University Honors Program students will have:
- Obtained a starting point for integrative exploration of the development of cultures and intellectual achievements through a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives;
- Sharpened their ability to critically analyze and synthesize a broad range of knowledge through the study of primary texts and through engagement in active learning with fellow students, faculty and texts (broadly understood);
- Understood how to apply more integrative and interdisciplinary forms of understanding in the advancement of knowledge and in addressing complex challenges shaping the world;
- Developed effective communication skills, specifically in the areas of written and oral exposition and analysis.
General Education Learning Outcome
- Global Studies Inquiry: Students connect contemporary social and/or environmental topics to their origins and analyze their effects on our increasingly globalized world.
Required Texts(available at the University Bookstore):
* = also on reserve in the Leatherby Libraries
- Acker, Kathy. Don Quixote.* (TW: rape, anti-Semitism, suicidal ideation, use of "n" word, use of "f" word.)
- Ouologuem, Yambo. Bound to Violence. (TW: extreme violence, rape, racism, use of "n" word.)
- Vaidhyanathan, Siva. Copyrights and Copywrongs: The Rise of Intellectual Property and How it Threatens Creativity.
- Be sure to bring digital or hard copies of the texts with you to class on the days that we will be discussing them. We will also watch the film The Plagiarists, and I will post materials on Canvas for you to read. In addition, I expect you to spend time and energy reading your colleagues' workshop drafts. I will post a list of additional resources readings related to the course on Canvas. I also expect you to do your own research for your two projects.
Course Grade:
This course uses the contract grading system (also known as labor-based grading or engagement-based grading) that is becoming increasingly common in educational institutions. This means that I will not be “giving” you a grade at the end of the course; rather, you will determine and work toward your own grade, based on the criteria below. I will also not be assigning grades to individual class projects, but will give you plenty of feedback on your work. I use contract grading primarily for four reasons: 1) research has demonstrated that traditional grading practices are inequitable; 2) since what constitutes “good” or “bad” student work is subjective, contract grading gets rid of this kind of subjectivity because I will not be grading the content of your work; 3) I prefer to give you constructive feedback on your work, rather than have to rank you by assigning a grade to your work; 4) studies have shown that grades inhibit student learning, and students learn more and produce better work when they are not “writing for a grade.” It’s up to you to decide which grade you’d like to work for in this course—I won’t hold your choice against you; a student’s grade is not a comment on their intelligence or indicative of if they’re a good or likeable person or not!
Course Requirements (for more information about the major assignments, see assignment information below):
- Attend all seminar meetings (S) (see attendance policy below)
- Carefully and critically read/view all assigned class texts (S)
- Thoughtfully and vigorously participate in seminar discussions (I expect each seminar member to participate at least once per class session in our seminar discussions; if you would prefer not to participate in seminar discussions, please see me so that we can come up with an alternative assignment sequence for you; if you tend to talk a lot in class, please make an effort to make space for other seminar members to participate in seminar discussions as well) (S)
- Complete all in-class activities (S)
- Complete all Hypothesis annotation assignments and Canvas discussion posts following the instructions I post on Canvas (S)
- Give a collaborative presentation on a copyright legal case (M)
- Complete a mid-semester feedback survey on the course (S)
- Post a substantial draft of your first project on Canvas (S)
- Conference with me on your draft of your first project (S)
- Post your revised first project on Canvas, engaging with feedback from your conference if you had a conference on your draft (M)
- Post a substantial draft of your second project on Canvas (S)
- Participate in an in-class peer workshop on your second project draft (S)
- Post your revised second projects on Canvas, engaging with workshop feedback if you had a workshop (M)
- Give a presentation on your second project during our final exam time (M)
- Post/present all assignments by the assigned due date and time (for exceptions, see extension policy below)
Attendance: seminar discussions are a central component of this course, so your attendance in class is crucial. You have four free absences to use for medical and other emergencies, no questions asked; you may miss a fifth and sixth seminar meeting without penalty if you give me advance notice and provide documentation of your emergency; if you miss more than four seminar meeting without advance notice or documentation of emergency, your final course grade will be negatively impacted. Note that you cannot pass the class if you miss more than six seminar meetings for any reason. According to the official university catalog, “The University recommends as a minimal policy that students who are absent 20 percent of the course should be failed.” However, I don’t want anyone to fail the course, so if you need to miss more than six seminar meetings, I will encourage you to withdraw from the course, and I’ll support your late withdrawal petition.
Extensions: each seminar member has three available extensions. These extensions are for one day, two days, and one week respectively. Each extension may only be used once throughout the semester and can be used on any assignment except the draft of your first project, draft of your second project, and presentation of second project. If you would like to use an extension, send me an email letting me know which extension you plan to use before the assignment’s original due date. The extensions enable you to turn in assignments late without penalty.
- B+: This is the "default" grade for the course; if you complete all the course requirements listed above, you will earn a B+ in the course
- A: Complete all B+ requirements plus a poster presentation at Chapman's Student Scholar Symposium
- A-: Complete all A requirements except one small assignment (S) is late/missing/incomplete
- B: Complete all B+ requirements except one small assignment (S) are late/missing/incomplete
- B-: Complete all B+ requirements except two small assignments (S) are late/missing/incomplete
- C+: Complete all B+ requirements except three small assignments (S) or one major assignment (M) are late/missing/incomplete
- C: Complete all B+ requirements except four small assignments (S) or one major assignment (M) plus one small assignment (S) are late/missing/incomplete
- Below C: You do not complete the requirements for a "C" course grade
Major Assignments:
- Hypothesis Annotations: We’ll be engaging with some class readings in the form of Hypothesis social annotations. This means that you will annotate readings alongside, in collaboration with, and in response to your colleagues, and you’ll all be able to see, build on, and learn from each other’s annotations. Many students enjoy the collaborative aspect of social annotation more than just annotating or responding to readings on their own. In addition, social annotation helps you to get a handle on difficult readings (many minds are better than one!), and gives you a sense of how other class members are responding to the texts. The social annotation will thus also help prepare you for seminar discussions and other class assignments. Since the purpose of social annotation is to build our collaborative understanding of a text, if others have annotated a text before you, you need to read your colleagues’ annotations so that you don’t merely repeat what others are saying, but build on and/or respond to what others are saying. For each annotation assignment, I suggest that you read the entire text quickly first to get an overview of it, and then read more slowly a second time, adding your annotations during your second reading. I will post specific instructions on Canvas for each annotation assignment. Some of these texts are challenging to read--don’t worry if you don’t understand everything the author is saying (in fact, one of the pleasures of social annotation is that we can better figure things out together): it’s fine to ask questions about something you don’t understand, or just to focus on what you do understand.
- Canvas Discussion Posts: You will complete several Canvas discussion posts reflecting on class readings. You are welcome to include links, images, and other digital materials in your posts. These posts are designed to help you to develop your own position in relation to the course readings, to prepare for seminar meetings, and as preparation for the two projects. I will post specific prompts for each Canvas discussion post.
- Collaborative Oral Presentation: You and your partner will discuss a recent legal case around copyright or intellectual property from a list I'll provide. You will need to research your case and prepare a presentation that doesn't just summarize "facts," but in which you talk about what you find significant or interesting about the case. Your goal is to present as complex an analysis of your case as you can. If you choose to use slides, do not read your slides aloud during the presentation! Your presentation should last no more than 20 minutes. You will answer class members' questions after your presentation. In my evaluation of your presentation, I will be considering the quality of your research, your analysis of your topic, how well you present your ideas, how well you and your partner work together, how well you answer questions, and your ability to keep to the 20 minute time limit.
- First Project: develop a 5-10 page essay discussing an issue or text from the first four units of the course that you find particularly interesting or that you think merits further discussion. Don't just repeat what we say in class about your text/issue--think about what contributions you want to make to the topic. You must engage with at least one of our class readings, at least one outside scholarly source, and at least one colleague's Hypothesis annotation or Canvas discussion post. You are welcome to include links, images, and other digital elements in your essay. Cite all sources (including images and colleagues' posts) in the body of your paper and in a Works Cited list at the end following MLA format (or another scholarly format). Feel free to use material from your Canvas discussion posts and Hypothesis annotations in your essay. We’ll discuss in class the target audience for this assignment. You'll get feedback on a draft of your project in an individual conference with me before you post the final version on Canvas.
- Second Project: creative option (may be individual or collaborative): develop a theoretically-informed and interesting work of “plagiarism” in any medium or genre (e.g., a series of poems, a short story/fiction, a painting, a performance, a web site, a zine, a comic, a critical essay, a video, a cd, a collection of photographs, a musical composition, a memoir, a [screen]play, a video game, a text that defies/crosses/mixes genres/media). “Theoretically-Informed” means that your project demonstrates an awareness of and engagement with the texts/issues we have been discussing this semester (i.e., it’s not naive or uninformed plagiarism, but “plagiarism” that is informed by intellectual property theory). Your creative work should be comparable in effort, time, and substance to a polished 5-10 page essay. Include a brief artist statement and bibliography to accompany your creative work. We’ll discuss in class the target audience for this assignment. You'll get peer feedback on a draft of your project before you post the final version on Canvas. You'll present this project to the class during our final exam time.
- Second Project: critical option (may be individual or collaborative): develop a 5-10 page essay discussing some aspect of plagiarism on campus that you find particularly interesting or that you think merits further discussion. Don't just repeat what we say in class about this topic--think about what contributions you want to make to the topic. You must engage with at least one of our class readings, at least one outside scholarly source, and at least one colleague's Hypothesis annotation or Canvas discussion post. You are welcome to include links, images, and other digital elements in your essay. Cite all sources (including images and colleagues' posts) in the body of your paper and in a Works Cited list at the end following MLA format (or another scholarly format). Feel free to use material from your Canvas discussion posts and Hypothesis annotations in your essay. We’ll discuss in class the target audience for this assignment. You'll get peer feedback on a draft of your project before you post the final version on Canvas. You'll present this project to the class during our final exam time.
- Presentation at Student Scholar Symposium (optional): create and present a poster for your first project at Chapman's Student Scholar Symposium (May 1-2). Deadline to submit abstract: 31 March.
Course Policies:
- Citation of Sources: As we'll discuss over the course of this semester, plagiarism is a contested and context-specific topic. Click here to read Chapman University's policy on academic integrity.
- Email Protocol: I acknowledge all email messages within 48 hours. If you email me but don’t get a response, I haven’t received your email. Feel free to email me concerning any questions you have about the course or about your work. It’s important to practice composing professional emails: be sure that your emails to me include appropriate subject lines, salutations, and closes.
- Classroom Dynamics: Honors seminar are discussion-oriented. I do not spend much time lecturing and expect you to participate vigorously in the many discussions around which the course is organized. We all teach and learn in this course--I do not believe in a one-way transmission of “knowledge” from instructor to students. I don’t have all the answers, and I look forward to learning as much as teaching in this course. You should direct your questions and comments in class to your colleagues as much as to me. I encourage you to talk in class and to encourage your colleagues to do the same.
- Diversity: I share with Chapman University a commitment to ensuring equality and valuing diversity. Any violations of Chapman's Harassment and Discrimination Policy should be discussed with me, the Dean of Students, and/or otherwise reported in accordance with this policy.
- Students With Disabilities: Please contact me early in the semester if you have a documented disability, so that we can discuss what accommodations, if any, I might make to help you to succeed in this class. Click here to read Chapman University's Policy Statement for Assisting Students with Disabilities.
- The Chapman Writing Center is a free service where you can get feedback on class projects.
- Student Psychological Counseling Services is a free service for Chapman students, and offers assistance with mental health challenges and other issues.
- Electronic Devices: Please bring your laptop to seminar meetings, but do not use electronic devices for non course-related work. Also, it's important to put away all electronic devices when we watch videos in class--light and sound from devices are distracting and ruin everyone's viewing experience. If you need to take notes while we are watching videos in class, please use pen and paper.
- Do not record class meetings without prior permission from me.
tentative schedule
Readings marked * are on Canvas
Unit 1: Introductions
Week 1
Monday 1/29/2024:
Unit 2: In Theory
Week 2
Monday 2/5/2024:
Monday 2/12/2024:
Monday 2/19/2024:
Unit 3: In Court
Week 5
Monday 2/26/2024:
Monday 3/4/2024:
Monday 3/11/2024:
Unit 4: In Literature and Popular Culture
Week 8
Monday 3/25/2024:
Monday 4/1/2024:
Monday 4/8/2024:
Monday 4/15/2024:
Unit 5: On Campus
Week 12
Monday 4/22/2024:
Monday 4/29/2024:
Week 14
Monday 5/6/2024:
Unit 1: Introductions
Week 1
Monday 1/29/2024:
- In-Class Activities: introduction to the course; in class reading and discussion of Jonathan Lethem's "The Ecstasy of Influence"; examples from music; introduction to The Plagiarists
- Homework Assignments for 1/31/2024: watch The Plagiarists on Kanopy
- In-Class Activities: class member introductions; discuss The Plagiarists; introduction to Barthes; discuss Hypothesis annotation criteria
- Homework Assignments for 2/5/2024: read Barthes, "The Death of the Author"*; Hypothesis annotation due by 2 p.m. on 2/5/2024
Unit 2: In Theory
Week 2
Monday 2/5/2024:
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Hypothesis annotations; introduction to Foucault
- Homework Assignments for 2/7/2024: read Foucault, "What is an Author?"
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; introduction to Kairos
- Homework Assignments for 2/12/2024: read "Introduction," "A Copyleft Manifesto," and at least one article from the "Disputatio" and "Topoi" sections of Kairos 24.1; Hypothesis annotation due by 2 p.m. on 2/12/2024
Monday 2/12/2024:
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Hypothesis annotations
- Homework Assignments for 2/14/2024: read the "Praxis" section of Kairos 24.1
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; introduction to Copyrights and Copywrongs
- Homework Assignments for 2/19/2024: read Copyrights and Copywrongs up to p. 116; Canvas discussion post due by 2 p.m. on 2/19/2024
Monday 2/19/2024:
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Canvas discussion posts
- Homework Assignments for 2/21/2024: finish reading Copyrights and Copywrongs
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; introduction to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
- Homework Assignments for 2/26/2024: review the Digital Millennium Copyright Act* and Wikipedia's entry on the DMCA; Hypothesis annotation due by 2 p.m. on 2/26/2024
Unit 3: In Court
Week 5
Monday 2/26/2024:
- In-Class Activities: discuss the DMCA; sign up for presentations
- Homework Assignments for 2/28/2024: read sample legal copyright case*
- In-Class Activities: discuss sample legal case
- Homework Assignments for 3/4/2024: prepare your presentation
Monday 3/4/2024:
- In-Class Activities: presentations; introduction to Kathy Acker
- Homework Assignments for 3/6/2024: prepare your presentation; start reading Kathy Acker's Don Quixote
- In-Class Activities: presentations
- Homework Assignments for 3/11/2024: prepare your presentation; start reading Kathy Acker's Don Quixote
Monday 3/11/2024:
- In-Class Activities: presentations
- Homework Assignments for 3/13/2024: continue reading Kathy Acker's Don Quixote
- In-Class Activities: debrief presentations; mid-semester course feedback; discuss Don Quixote
- Homework Assignments for 3/25/2024: finish reading Kathy Acker's Don Quixote; Canvas discussion post due by 2 p.m. on 3/25/2024
Unit 4: In Literature and Popular Culture
Week 8
Monday 3/25/2024:
- In-Class Activities: discuss Don Quixote, Canvas discussion posts, and mid-semester feedback; introduction to Yambo Ouologuem
- Homework Assignments for 3/27/2024: start reading Yambo Ouologuem's Bound to Violence
- In-Class Activities: discuss Don Quixote; assign first project
- Homework Assignments for 4/1/2024: read Yambo Ouologuem's Bound to Violence up to the end of part 3; Canvas discussion post due by 2 p.m. on 4/1/2024
Monday 4/1/2024:
- In-Class Activities: discuss Bound to Violence and Canvas discussion posts
- Homework Assignments for 4/3/2024: finish reading Yambo Ouologuem's Bound to Violence
- In-Class Activities: discuss Bound to Violence; sign up for conferences
- Homework Assignments for 4/8/2024: conduct research for your first project
Monday 4/8/2024:
- In-Class Activities: report on your research; work on first project
- Homework Assignments for 4/10/2024: post a substantial draft of your first project on Canvas at least 24 hours before your conference
- In-Class Activities: conferences--no class meeting
- Homework Assignments for 4/15/2024: post a substantial draft of your first project on Canvas at least 24 hours before your conference
Monday 4/15/2024:
- In-Class Activities: conferences--no class meeting
- Homework Assignments for 4/17/2024: work on revising your first project
- In-Class Activities: flarf poetry
- Homework Assignments for 4/22/2024: post your revised first project on Canvas by 2 p.m. on 4/22/2024; read Wilkinson, "Something Borrowed"*
Unit 5: On Campus
Week 12
Monday 4/22/2024:
- In-Class Activities:debrief first project; discuss Kenneth Goldsmith; introduction to Unit 5
- Homework Assignments for 4/24/2024: read Anderson, "Response to Sean Zwagerman,"* "Why Plagiarism Doesn't Bother Me at All,"* and Clark and Healy, "Are Writing Centers Ethical?"*
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading; in-class writing; assign second project
- Homework Assignments for 4/29/2024: read AI Literacy Assignments*; Canvas discussion post due by 2 p.m. on 4/29/2024
Monday 4/29/2024:
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading and Canvas discussion posts
- Homework Assignments for 5/1/2024: read articles about Claudine Gay*
- In-Class Activities: discuss reading
- Homework Assignments for 5/6/2024: work on your second project
Week 14
Monday 5/6/2024:
- In-Class Activities: work on second project; course debrief
- Homework Assignments for 5/8/2024: post a substantial draft of your second project on Canvas by 2 p.m. on 5/8/2024
- In-Class Activities: peer workshops on second project; course evaluations
- Homework Assignments: prepare your presentation; post your revised second project on Canvas by 1 p.m. on 5/14/2024
- Presentations on second project