BL 7

Course Syllabus

Course Description

Provides an introduction to the legal aspects of business. Students gain knowledge of the legal system in the United States, intellectual properties, contracts, Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), forms of business ownership, and the various roles within corporations from a legal perspective.

Course Textbook(s)

Kubasek, N., Browne, M. N., Herron, D. J., Dhooge, L. J., & Barkacs, L. L. (2021). Dynamic business law: The essentials (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781264076741

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Examine the legal system in the United States as it pertains to business. 2. Interpret provisions of the Constitution of the United States related to businesses and property. 3. Explain the basic elements of forming an enforceable contract. 4. Describe the circumstances that can affect the enforceability of contracts. 5. Identify the kinds of contracts that must be in writing in order to be enforced. 6. Compare the ways that contractual obligations can be discharged. 7. Demonstrate how Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) applies to sale transactions. 8. Differentiate the characteristics of the forms of business ownership. 9. Analyze the operational aspects of corporations.

Academic Integrity

Honesty and integrity are taken very seriously at Waldorf University. All students should be familiar with the Waldorf University Academic Integrity Policy (found in the current Student Handbook) and the consequences that will result from breaches of this policy.

Credits

Upon completion of this course, the students will earn 3.00 hours of college credit.

Course Structure

1. Study Guide: Course units contain a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required unit resources, assignments, and supplemental resources.

2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.

3. Unit Lesson: Unit Lessons, which are located in the Study Guide, discuss lesson material. 4. Required Unit Resources: Units contain Required Unit Resources from one or more chapters from the textbook

and/or outside resources. 5. Suggested Unit Resources: Suggested Unit Resources are listed within the Study Guide. Students are encouraged

to read the resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Unit Resources.

6. Learning Activities (Nongraded): Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study.

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7. Discussion Boards: Students are required to submit Discussion Board posts in Units I-VIII. Discussion Boards provide students the opportunity for student-to-student and professor-to-student interaction based on relevant course concepts and ideas. Specific information about accessing the Discussion Board rubric is provided below.

8. Unit Assessments: This course contains Unit Assessments, which test student knowledge on important aspects of the course. These tests may come in many different forms, ranging from multiple choice to written response questions.

9. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.

10. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides students with an opportunity to ask their professor general questions or questions related to course content.

11. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with other classmates.

Unit Assignments

Unit II Case Study

Copyright Scenario

Art Bouchat, an artist in Baltimore, submitted his logo design for the Baltimore Ravens professional football team, and the Ravens used a logo design that was very similar to Bouchat’s design for their team logo during the 1996–1998 seasons. Bouchat sued the Ravens for copyright infringement for using his design as their logo without his permission, and the court ruled that the Ravens had improperly used Bouchat’s design for their logo and had infringed on his copyright of that design.

The Ravens changed their logo for the 1999 season, but they started showing highlight films from their 1996–1998 seasons in their stadium, on their website, and on their television channel, and the logo that Bouchat had designed and that the Ravens had improperly used during those seasons appeared in the highlight films.

Bouchat sued the Ravens a second time, alleging that the appearance of the logo he designed in the highlight films was, again, copyright infringement.

The Ravens assert two defenses to Bouchat’s claim of copyright infringement the second time around.

1. The Ravens contended that their use of the 1996–1998 logo in the highlight films was protected by the fair use doctrine.

2. Since Bouchat and the Ravens were both citizens of Baltimore, there was no commerce among the states or interstate commerce involved, so Congress had no authority to make laws that protected Bouchat’s copyright.

In a two-page case study, address the questions below.

1. Is the Raven’s use of the logo on the highlight films protected by the fair use doctrine? 2. Is the Raven’s claim that Congress does not have the power to regulate copyright within a single state valid?

As you answer these two questions about the Ravens’ use of the logo, explain how the evolution of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution of the United States affects businesses and the Ravens in particular. Also, be sure to address the categories of intellectual properties protected by the Constitution of the United States.

Your case study should be at least two pages in length and include at least two outside sources. Be sure to use APA formatting for all citations and references. Please note that no abstract is needed.

Unit IV Case Study

Contract Scenario

Calvin had been an avid coin collector for many years, and the most valuable coin in his collection was an uncirculated, mint condition, 1943 Lincoln penny made of copper (most pennies made during World War II were made of zinc because copper was needed in the war effort). That penny had a value of between $60,000 and $95,000.

In August of 2017, Calvin had a serious stroke that left him unable to speak or walk, but his doctor assured his family that Calvin would recover over time with intensive therapy.

Calvin was a widower and did not have any children, but he had several nephews who visited him from time to time as he recovered. None of the nephews had any real interest in Calvin’s coin collection. One of Calvin’s nephews, Billy, who visited Calvin more often than the other nephews, sometimes listened to Calvin talk (talking was a part of Calvin’s therapy) about his mounting medical bills and his coin collection, but Billy never showed much interest in the medical bills or the coin collection.

In October, as Calvin’s recovery progressed slowly, Billy visited Calvin and told Calvin that he had been reading about coin collecting, and he realized that Calvin’s collection, especially the 1943 Lincoln copper penny, was valuable, and Billy suggested that Calvin should consider selling the 1943 Lincoln copper penny and use the proceeds to pay his medical bills. Calvin resisted the idea at first, but Billy continued to urge Calvin to sell the penny so that he would not have to worry about the medical bills. Finally, when Billy told Calvin that he would arrange the sale of the penny for a commission of just 5% of the sale price of the penny, Calvin began to think that selling the coin might be a good idea. He was still a little confused about how the sale would work and what Billy would do to make sure that the penny would be sold for the best price. Calvin

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told Billy that he thought that the penny was worth almost $100,000, but Billy assured Calvin that the market had changed recently, and that the penny was now worth $40,000 to $45,000. Eventually, Calvin allowed Billy to sell the penny for the best price he could get and to take a 5% commission for arranging the sale of the penny. Billy then sold the penny to a friend for $40,000, took his 5% commission, and paid the remainder of the sale price to Calvin.

A few months later, as Calvin continued to recover, he read a story in a coin collecting magazine about how an uncirculated, mint condition, 1943 Lincoln penny made of copper had just sold at auction for more than $100,000, and Calvin began to wonder if Billy had taken advantage of him. Calvin consulted a lawyer and asked the two questions below.

Did he (Calvin) have the mental capacity to enter into the contract when he agreed to let Billy sell the penny? What would he (Calvin) have to prove to show a court that he did not have the necessary mental capacity when he authorized Billy to sell the penny? Did Billy exert undue influence over Calvin to cause Calvin to enter into the contract that allowed Billy to sell the penny?

What do you think? Does Calvin have a case to set aside the contract with Billy on either of these theories?

Your case study should be at least two pages in length and include at least two outside sources. Be sure to use APA formatting for all citations and references.

Unit VI Case Study

Scott Restaurant Company purchased a commercial freezer from Big Refrigeration Company. The written contract between Scott Restaurant Company and Big Refrigeration Company provided that Scott Restaurant Company would pay Big Refrigeration Company $5,000 for an Arctic Air commercial freezer and an additional $1,000 for delivery and installation of the commercial freezer. Write a case study that considers the questions below.

Is this contract subject to Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)? Why, or why not? Does it make a difference if Scott Restaurant Company or Big Refrigeration Company are merchants? Why, or why not?

Next, consider that Big Refrigeration Company delivered an Admiral Craft commercial freezer to Scott Restaurant Company on the date the contract required but, before the freezer was installed, a representative of Scott Restaurant Company recognized that the freezer that was delivered was not the brand that the contract specified.

Include responses to the questions below in your case study.

Did Big Refrigeration Company breach the contract? Why, or why not? If there was a breach of contract, what can Scott Restaurant Company do about the breach of contract?

Your case study should be at least two pages in length and include at least two outside sources. Be sure to use APA formatting for all citations and references. Please note that no abstract is needed.

Unit VII Case Study

Ted Brown and Jim Green have been discussing going into business together for several months, and they are anxious to start that business before the end of this month. However, both Ted Brown and Jim Green each have to be out of town for several weeks on other business, so Ted Brown has told his son, Theodore, who is 16, about the discussions with Jim Green and has appointed Theodore to complete negotiation of the final details of the business. Jim Green has told his son James, who is 18 years old, about the discussions with Ted Brown and appointed James to complete the negotiations.

The business that Ted Brown and Jim Green want to create will develop an app for cell phones that will identify family- oriented attractions along major highways so families can download the app to help in planning family vacations. The development of the app will take 4 months, and then it will take approximately another 4 months to fully deploy the app. As the app becomes popular, the business will solicit family-oriented businesses to advertise on the app. Ted Brown and Jim Green have very little capital to use in the development and deployment of the app and will probably need to raise the capital necessary to develop and deploy a quality app.

In your case study, address the questions below.

Can Theodore Brown and James Green legally create the business that Ted Brown and Jim Green have been discussing? Why, or why not? If Theodore and James do create the business, what duties do they each owe their father? Describe what those duties mean in this case. What factors do Ted Brown and Jim Green (or their sons on their behalf) need to consider in selecting a form for this business? What form of business will provide the most advantage for their venture? What are the disadvantages of the form of business that they selected?

Your case study should be at least four pages in length and include at least two outside sources, one of which must come from the Waldorf Online Library. Be sure to use APA formatting for all citations and references. Please note that no abstract is needed.

Submitting Course Papers/Projects

Once you have completed your papers/projects, submit your completed papers/projects by uploading through the

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Assignment tab in each unit. Do not e-mail your paper directly to your professor. By using the Assignment tab, your record will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your papers/projects, and the assignment will be provided to your professor for grading. Instructions for submitting your assignment can be found under the Assignment tab in each unit.

APA Guidelines

Waldorf University requires that students use the APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Information about using APA style can be found in APA Style Help in the Course Menu. This area provides links to Internet sites, tutorials, and guides that provide comprehensive information on APA formatting, including examples and sample papers.

Grading Rubrics

This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities.

Rubric categories include (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments).

The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I’s Discussion Board submission instructions.

The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.

Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting the “Grades” link.

Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades.

Communication Forums

These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below.

Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums.

Ask the Professor

This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students.

Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a non- public nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the professor within 48 hours.

Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information.

Student Break Room

This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers.

Schedule/Grading

The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.

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Unit I Introduction to Business Law and the Legal System in the United States [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit I Study Guide Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Dynamic Business Law Chapter 3: The U.S. Legal System and Alternative Dispute Resolution Unit Resources (2 articles): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit I Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit I Assessment 10%

Unit II The Constitution, Business, and Property [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit II Study Guide Chapter 5: Constitutional Law Chapter 8: Real, Personal, and Intellectual Property Unit Resources (2 articles): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit II Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit II Case Study 10%

Unit III Contracts: Agreement and Consideration [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit III Study Guide Chapter 9: Introduction to Contracts and Agreement Chapter 10: Consideration Unit Resources (2 articles): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit III Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit III Assessment 10%

Unit IV Contracts: Capacity, Legality, and Assent [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit IV Study Guide Chapter 11: Capacity and Legality Chapter 12: Reality of Assent

Discuss: Unit IV Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit IV Case Study 10%

Unit V Contracts in Writing and Discharge of Contractual Obligations [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit V Study Guide Chapter 13: Contracts in Writing and Third-Party Contracts Chapter 14: Discharge and Remedies Unit Resource (1 article): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit V Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit V Assessment 10%

Unit VI Articles 2 and 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit VI Study Guide Chapter 15: Formation and Performance of Sales and Lease Contracts Chapter 16: Sales and Lease Contracts: Performance, Warranties, and Remedies Unit Resources (2 articles): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VI Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VI Case Study 10%

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Unit VII Agency and Forms of Business [ Weight: 16% ]

Read/View: Unit VII Study Guide Chapter 20: Agency and Liability to Third Parties Chapter 21: Forms of Business Organization Unit Resources (2 articles): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VII Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VII Case Study 14%

Unit VIII Corporations [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit VIII Study Guide Chapter 22: Corporations: Formation and Organization

Discuss: Unit VIII Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VIII Assessment 10%

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