The Internationalisation of Copyright Law
Books, Buccaneers and the Black Flag in the Nineteenth Century

A comprehensive account of the internationalisation of literary copyright, focusing on nineteenth century international copyright law.

Catherine Seville (Author)

9780521868167, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 23 November 2006

372 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.72 kg

Review of the hardback: 'This is a work of colossal research, invaluably distilled. Catherine Seville has shot new light though the notoriously turgid water of copyright history, in chronicling the emergence of the global copyright regime. The internationalisation of Copyright Law not only joins a specialist debate over contemporary legal reform but also makes a major contribution to the history of the book. Anyone investigating the post-1800 book trade in Britain, Europe, or North America will benefit from this compendious account, wonderfully summarised and exhaustingly documented, of the changed definition of property texts. …Catherine Seville's The Internationalisation of Copyright Law is a monumental accomplishment. It is undeniable that there is a vast historical canopy supplied here, in which many smaller studies will build their nests.' Papers of the Biographical Society of Canada

Technological developments have shaped copyright law's development, and now the prospect of endless, effortless digital copying poses a significant challenge to modern copyright law. Many complain that copyright protection has burgeoned wildly, far beyond its original boundaries. Some have questioned whether copyright can survive the digital age. From a historical perspective, however, many of these 'new' challenges are simply fresh presentations of familiar dilemmas. This book explores the history of international copyright law, and looks at how this history is relevant today. It focuses on international copyright during the nineteenth century, as it affected Europe, the British colonies (particularly Canada), America, and the UK. As we consider the reform of modern copyright law, nineteenth-century experiences offer highly relevant empirical evidence. Copyright law has proved itself robust and flexible over several centuries. If directed with vision, Seville argues, it can negotiate cyberspace.

Table of cases
Table of statutes
Table of abbreviations and archive sources
1. Introduction
2. International copyright: four interconnected histories
3. Towards the Berne Union
4. Colonial challenges
5. The independence of America
6. Domestic problems
7. The colours of cyberspace
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Intellectual property law [LNR], Publishing industry & book trade [KNTP]