In Copy This Book!, Paul J. Heald draws on a vast knowledge of
copyright scholarship and a deep sense of irony to explain what's gone
wrong with copyright in the twenty-first century. Distilling extensive
empirical data to clearly show the implications of copyright laws and
doctrine for public welfare, he illustrates his findings with
lighthearted references to familiar (and obscure) works and their
creators (and sometimes their creators' oddball relations). Among the
questions he tackles: How does copyright deter composers from writing
new songs? Why are so many famous photographs unprotected orphans, and
how does Getty Images get away with licensing them? What can the use of
music in movies tell us about the proper length of the copyright term?
How do publishers get away with claiming rights in public domain works
and extracting unmerited royalties from the public? Heald translates
piles of data, complex laws, and mysterious economics, equipping readers
with the tools for judging past and future copyright law.