Law and Economics Readings



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  I. Introduction

        1. Cooter and Ulen: Chp.2
        2. Cooter and Ulen: Chp.3
        3. Cooter and Ulen: Chp.10
        4. Epstein: ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Front’  (SKIP Section 2)
        5 .Washington Post: ‘Czech’s Downfall Shatters Hope for Economic Miracle’
        6. Flood v. Kuhn   (Questions to answer when reading the case so you know what to focus upon.)
        7. Rector v. Holy Trinity Church    (Questions to answer when reading the case so you know what to focus upon..)
 


II. Assignment of Property Rights

        1. Heinzman v. Fine, Fine, Legum & Fine   
        2. Vosburg v. Putney   
        3. Fontainebleau Hotel Corp. v. Forty-Five Twenty-Five, Inc (Goetz:  pg. 49-51) - entire case has been put  into a 2 page file   
        4. Boomer v. Atlantic Cement Co. (Goetz: pg. 55-58)  
        5. Sprecher v. Adamson Cos. (Goetz: pg. 69-74)  
        6. Posner’s Readings: on intellectual property      
        7. Feist v. Rural Telephone    Tuesday                         
        8. Sony  v. Universal (Betamax) (original case)  Sony v. Universal (Wikipedia)   Thursday   
                                            YOU ONLY HAVE TO READ THE WIKIPEDIA VERSION. I included the original case for your intellectual enjoyment.
                                             Don't forget the Posner reading under heading #11 below.
                    (Optional)  "Tiffany and eBay in a Fight Over Fakes"  New York Times 11/27/07
                   
(Optional) “Anti-Piracy Bill Divides Studios and Tech companies” Wall Street Journal 9/27/04
                    (Optional) “Technology (A Special Report) --- TV + Web =? How the Internet is affecting what – and how – we watch” WSJ  5/12/06        
         9. (Optional) Copyright Protection on Fashion
                   
"Can Fashion Be Copyrighted?”  Wall Street Journal 9/11/06   
                    “O.K., Knockoffs, This is War”  New York Times, 3/30/06      
                     “Is it OK for cheap lines to copy designer cloths?” Glamour  9/06   
        10. Broadcast Music, Inc. v. Moore-Law Inc.  (Goetz: pg. 45-48)  
        11. Posner’s Readings: Eminent Domain  Thursday
                  (Optional) Court Buttresses Eminent Domain: Local Governments Cleared To Take Private Property If Projects Promise Growth” WSJ 6/24/05 
                  (Optional) Variety of articles on Eminent Domain in the past year acroos the state
                  (Optional) Newspaper article on use of Eminent Domain in Duluth, MN Star Tribune  2/22/02
                  (Optional) Newspaper article on use of Eminent Domain in Eagan, MN  Pioneer Press 10/24/03
                  (Optional) Newspaper article on use of Eminent Domain in Chanhassen, MN Star Tribune  10/23/03
                  (Optional) Newspaper article on use of Eminent Domain in Saint Paul on West 7th Street  Star Tribune  10/23/03
        12. Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council   Tuesday         
                  
Visit http://www.dartmouth.edu/~wfischel/lucasupdate.html for information on the outcome of the case (optional). Copy URL into another browser.
        13. Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon   Tuesday


         
II. Torts

             1. Lecture #1 

            2. Lecture #2

            3. Lecture # 3 - Implications of court error on activity level

                    Polinsky 6,9
                    Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co. (248 N.Y. 399, 162 N.E. 99 1928)  -- see handout from first tort lecture
                    Ploof v. Putman (81 Vt. 471 71 A 188 1908)  
                    Vincent v. Lake Erie (109 Minn 456 124 NW 221 )  

            4.  Lecture #4 - Product Liability 
          
                  


IV. Contracts and Damages

          A. Contracts

                        1. Lecture #1 -An Introduction to Contracts and Application
                                · Contracting and efficient breach -Polinsky: 5        
                                · Elements of a contract  
                                · Bailey v. West  (Summary given in class.)
                                · Peevyhouse v. Garland         THURSDAY                             
                                   Hadley v. Baxendal  (Summary given in class.)


          B. Valuation/ Computing Damages                
                        1. Lecture #1
                                Prejudgement Interest *  (Review present value handout if necessary)
                                    · case: Buick v. Levine                                                                     
                                    · case: United Telcoms, Inc. v. American TV & Communs. Corp     
                                Evaluating Lost Future Income
                                Combine Uncertainty and Discounting