"Mise en scène" is a French term used in film and theater to describe the arrangement of everything that appears in the framing – actors, lighting, décor, props, costume – which essentially creates the visual environment for a story. When it comes to copyright law, the concept of mise en scène might occasionally be discussed in terms of the "look and feel" or the setting of a scene, but it is not a standard defense against copyright infringement.
If you're involved in a legal dispute over the visual elements of a work, you might argue that certain aspects are not protectable because they are scenes à faire (a term used to describe elements that are standard or necessary for the genre). For instance, a cowboy and a spaceman toy are common characters in children's stories and playthings. However, this argument must be carefully made within the broader context of copyright law, as it can be complex and fact-specific.
Regarding the accents in "mise en scène," the term is accented with an acute accent on the first 'e' in "mise" and the second 'e' in "scène." It's written as "mise en scène." The phrase is directly borrowed from French, where accents are used to denote pronunciation and grammatical nuances.