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| Copyrights and Copywrongs by Siva Vaidhyanathan |
| Review From Booklist Vaidhyanathan challenges the common notion of copyright as "property," asserting instead that it is "policy," which should include the best interests of the public as well as those of the artists, musicians, writers, and other creative people. Vaidhyanathan further challenges romantic ideas of copyright laws protecting authors, asserting the real issue is "ownership," by which the publishing and other business interests assert their monopolistic control. Providing examples from Mark Twain to 2 Live Crew, he challenges the emphasis on originality and recommends a shift in focus to stylistic innovation. While this is not a legal history, it traces the development of copyright law in the U.S. through the twentieth century, examining its roots in British law and its impact on film, music, television, and literature. The author proposes a more functional approach to copyrights that focuses on protecting specific expressions but not the ideas that lie beneath them. American culture would benefit more from a system that guarantees "thin" copyright protection that encourages creativity yet provides a broad "fair use" of copyrighted material. --Vernon Ford |