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DISCOVERY presented by UW LawAuthor: University of Washington School of Law
DISCOVERY is a podcast presented by the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, WA, featuring distinguished guests discussing today's biggest social, political and legal issues. Episodes focus on a diverse mix of legal and legal-adjacent topics through intimate conversations with experts, speakers and leaders from around the globe. For more, visit law.uw.edu/podcast. Language: en Genres: News, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Yellow Brick Road of Copyright Law
Episode 5
Wednesday, 11 March, 2026
In this episode of Discovery, we speak with Professor Peter Nicolas from the University of Washington School of Law about his new copyright law class, a case study of "The Wizard of Oz." The class debuted in winter quarter and included a mandatory group outing to "The Wiz" musical at Paramount Theatre. Since The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900, eventually entering the public domain, each new rendition raises fascinating copyright questions. The 1939 MGM film, "The Wizard of Oz," was separately copyrighted and introduced new expressive elements, along with reinterpretations like "The Wiz," a book and its corresponding Broadway musical which reimagined the story through an African American cultural lens. Nowadays we have spinoffs from the book Wicked which tells the backstory of the Wicked Witch followed by the Broadway musical and now a two-part film adaptation, beginning with "Wicked." Professor Nicolas explains how copyright law goes beyond technical doctrine to be a framework that determines who can tell stories — and how.
