The Illustrated Story of Copyright |  | Author: Edward Samuels
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Category: Book
List Price: $40.00
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Seller: -hungrybookworm
Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 1471232
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 8.7 x 1.1
ISBN: 0312261764
Dewey Decimal Number: 346.730482
EAN: 9780312261764
ASIN: 0312261764
Publication Date: December 17, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The story of copyright is the history of the entertainment industry, encompassing books, music, movies, television, and even computers and the Internet, just to scratch the surface.Since its inception in America under "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning," copyright law has been the primary protector of original works of authorship. Over the course of its history, however, myriad technological developments have produced constant pressure on the law, forcing copyright to adapt or expand to accommodate our creations.In The Illustrated Story of Copyright, Professor Edward Samuels explains in a straightforward and colorful style the history and intricacies of copyright. From the printing press to the photocopying machine, the phonograph to the MP3, this comprehensive guide explains the basic principles of copyright law and brings to life the relevant copyright technologies. Using hundreds of photos, illustrations and sidebars, Samuels traces the story of copyright from its adoption in this country 210 years ago to today's headline issues posed by the Internet and the digitizing of creative works. And remarkably, this is the only book of its kind that is accessible to a lay audience, and that also will delight people already conversant in the field.This timely work takes what is commonly perceived to be a difficult subject and gives it a fresh and engaging edge. An essential tool to navigate the complex partnership of creativity and property rights, The Illustrated Story of Copyright belongs on the bookshelf of every creative person.AUTHORBIO: Professor Edward Samuels has taught copyright, contracts, commercial law, bankruptcy, and legal method at New York Law School for 25 years. He has served on or chaired just about every type of committee known to law professors, including a short term as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. He has written numerous articles on copyright.
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| Customer Reviews:
 An Open Book March 13, 2001
George Conk (New York, NY USA)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
If you want to know what it's all about - just what it is that writers, publishers, composers, musicians, sculptors and photographers own - and what use you can make of their work, this is a great place to start.A lucid survey of the history, and logic of the law of copyright, Samuels' well laid out, and copiously illustrated book is a useful guide for editors, writers, agents, websters, napsters, law students, and even law professors. The numerous side bars and photos provide stories that illuminate the logic of copyright law. A subject which is in danger of being throttled by technical detail (the Copyright Act is must reading for insomniacs) is made plain here. It's a great introduction and a helpful wrap up for those who know the ropes, but have gotten tangled in the details.
One of the more important books of our time January 24, 2003
Rebekah Sue Harris (West Haven, CT USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
"The Illustrated Story of Copyright" may be the most important book I read this year. It traces history back to duplicating the printed word, and covers presses, copiers, the Internet, and computers. Also covered is Fair Use and Patents. The book is written so that non-professionals and non-students can understand it, yet I believe that it would be an asset to any attorney's office or to any law curriculum.Others who will enjoy this book are the Mac/Apple fans. "Mac people" are a clan of their own, and those I've met will collect anything with substantial Mac information. The condensed history of how Mac came to be is a worthy addition to a Macintosh library. Furthermore, "The Illustrated Story of Copyright" should be required reading for all musicians, all VCR owners, all computer owners, all freelancers... the list is endless. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it, but wish I'd known about it sooner. I doubt that I'll recommend another book to as wide a range of people. (this book was recommended to me ... then purchased from my amazon.com wishlist.)
Copyrights made easy August 6, 2002
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Unlike many books on legal issues that are important to non-lawyers, this book strikes a very readable balance between providing useful advice and being something you actually enjoy reading. I would rate this a "must read" for anybody dealing with commercialization of art, photography, writing, data ...The historic perspective is invaluable for understanding copyrights, and Samuels does a superb job of showing how US law has evolved to meet challenges of evolving technologies and markets. I look forward to a second edition in a few years as the WWW saga unfolds.
 A good introductory primer August 9, 2005
Newton Ooi (Phoenix, Arizona United States)
This book gives a short history of copyright, the reasonings behind it, its manifestation, implementation, and enforcement throughout the last 500 years with emphasis on the English-speaking world; i.e. England and now the US. It is written in a style accessible to those without legal training, and serves as a good introduction to this aspect of intellectual property. The book provides many useful pieces of information such as:
1. The differences between patents, copyrights, and trademarks.
2. How someone can copyright something.
3. How the extent of enforcibility of copyright laws change from nation to nation.
4. A brief history of the laws and court cases that have impacted and defined the evolution of copyright laws within the US.
5. How different industries and industry groups have dealt with and tried to change copyright laws.
In all, this book is a good read. The text is somewhat dry, though not difficult to understand. The style is somewhere between a textbook, an editorial, a history book, and an opinion piece. The book also provides a lot of handy references.
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