Call for Applications | ‘CopyrightX: NLSIU’ – A Copyright Law Course by NLSIU in Collaboration with Harvard Law School
December 16, 2025
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU), in collaboration with the Harvard Law School (HLS), is offering a comparative copyright law course titled ‘CopyrightX: NLSIU’ in the upcoming trimester. This eight-week hybrid course will start on March 2, 2026 and end by April 30, 2026. This is an affiliate course of the CopyrightX programme, offered by Prof. William Fisher and Prof. Ruth Okediji at HLS, and is open to professionals and students from across South Asia.
About the Course
The course will explore diverse legal aspects of copyright and its impact on different fields like art, entertainment and technology. As in the previous year, the course this year will also be focussing in detail on the impact of AI on Copyright Law and creativity. The course will examine the current status of AI related copyright litigations in different jurisdictions across the globe and also introduce debates on reforming Copyright Law.
What makes the course at NLSIU unique is its equal focus on both the US Copyright Law and the Indian Copyright Law, aimed also to provide the participants a comparative perspective. The course will also discuss copyright laws in other jurisdictions, wherever relevant. The course outline can be accessed from this link.
The course relies extensively on the case study method to explore the complex concepts in detail. The course follows a unique pedagogical approach of combining recorded lectures of Prof. Fisher and Prof. Okediji with interactive live discussions led by Prof. Arul George Scaria (NLSIU). This may also be supplemented by discussions with copyright experts/artists.
Course Details
There will be three sessions (of two hours) per week. The course will be following a hybrid approach, wherein external candidates (students from outside NLSIU) will be joining the sessions online and NLSIU students will be joining offline on campus. A minimum of 80% attendance is mandatory for the enrolled students to participate in the final examination. Students are required to watch all the recorded videos and are required to attend the live lectures as well. As a fairly rigorous course, the course will have different in-class and take-home assignments for students.
The final examination will be administered primarily by HLS and students who meet all the course requirements and pass the final examination will receive a certificate from HLS.
Eligibility
Candidates from any countries in South Asia, who are currently enrolled in or completed an undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral research programme are eligible to apply. We particularly welcome applications from professionals including judges, law practitioners, artists, librarians, data scientists, and software developers, who are interested in learning about Copyright Law. However, as a course that demands extensive interactions, the enrolment will be limited and therefore highly selective.
How to Apply
Candidates interested in enrolling in the course should submit a formal request for enrolment through this form link latest by January 14, 2026 (11:59 pm IST) along with the following documents:
1. CV
2. Motivation letter (clearly indicating why and how this course would be helpful for your career.
3. Copy of the student ID (if you are currently enrolled in any full-time academic course in a public funded university in South Asia).
The selection shall be primarily on the basis of the CV, academic and professional background of the candidate, and motivation letter. During the selection process diversity of backgrounds shall be given due consideration.
Fee
The fees for enrolment in this course shall be INR 50,000 + applicable taxes. However, NLSIU and Harvard Law School have decided to offer a complete fee waiver for students currently enrolled in any public funded university in South Asia pursuing any full-time academic course. Please note that this fee waiver is not applicable for candidates who are in employment (for example, candidates who may have taken leave from their job to pursue a full-time Ph.D. programme).
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding this course, please write to Prof. Arul George Scaria ().
NOTE: Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and it will not be possible to respond to individual queries on application status in view of the large number of applications we generally receive for this course.
Student Reflections:
Vu Quang Minh,
Official, Copyright Office of Vietnam, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
“It was an exceptional experience for me as the course has provided me with insightful and thorough lectures and materials about copyright theory and the national legal systems of the US and India. After finishing the course, as an official, I have not only gained more theoretical knowledge, but practical skills to finish my daily tasks more efficiently and sophisticated.”
Shama Mahajan
LL.M. Candidate (Intellectual Property & Technology Law), National University of Singapore.
“For someone who was interested in understanding copyright law in detail and in the context of current technological advancements, CopyrightX: NLSIU was just the right avenue. From contemporary legal perspectives to policy discussions, the course is more than just theory. The focus on US law and Indian law was also very helpful as it allowed for a comparative analysis of the two jurisdictions which also helped me during my LLM in this field. Interacting with people from different professional and educational backgrounds, offered a wider perspective of viewing different legal issues. The classroom discussions and case studies throughout the duration despite the course being hybrid in nature, were the highlights for me. The practical orientation of the course helps in appreciating its applicability in the real world.”
Ashwin Nath
Founder, Ashwin Nath & Co. Chartered Accountants
“I came in as a layman and went home as an expert in copyright law. My journey was that transformative. I went from wondering why Ilayaraja sued people all the time, to thanking him for the legal precedent he brought to Indian copyright law. As a Chartered Accountant, this course gave me a skillset that opened doors I never imagined such as negotiating film music deals, helping indie musicians navigate contracts, and sorting out disputes as their go to mediator.”
Sherly Rajan
Independent IP Practitioner and Researcher
“The CopyrightX: NLSIU course was a highly enriching learning experience that gave me an extremely broad understanding of the Copyright law unlike any of my previous learnings on the subject. The course explored the copyright law in depth, right from its roots and provided a comparative study with the laws and practices of other countries thereby enabling an understanding of the topic on a global perspective. A thought stimulating environment was created during the sessions as copyright law enthusiasts from various fields engaged and a well-rounded exchange of ideas happened. This course was truly a life changing experience in my professional journey as it has helped me take the right approach while addressing an issue involving copyright and to see the law beyond the letters written in black and white.”
Athul Mohan
Associate, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
“The content and pedagogy of copyright X, really makes it a different learning experience. It enabled me to develop a nuanced understanding of the theoretical, policy and practice aspects of copyright law. The course gives you a global perspective of copyright and allows you to distil down to the underlying principles yourself through the discussions and activities throughout the course. It has instilled a sense confidence about the subject in me. This confidence has really reflected and helped me in my interviews and office work.”
Sundar Athreya. H
Assistant Professor, KIIT School of Law
“As a copyright law researcher and educator, I have benefitted enormously from the CopyrightX: NLSIU course. I walked into this course with keen interest as my investment, and reaped knowledge-rich dividends from it. These dividends have helped me to approach my doctoral research and classroom teaching with fresh insight.”