Copyright and Popular Media

'We live in an era in which convergence of the internet, the digitalization of popular media and dominant attitudes toward personal freedom has created the perfect storm for the corporate entertainment media. This book provides innovative answers to the vexed questions of copyright and digital media piracy from the perspectives of the social sciences and copyright law.' - Paul Boreham, Professor of Political Science, University of Queensland, Australia

'The history of copyright law in popular media is often presented as a one-dimensional story in which a handful of global corporate citizens enjoy unfettered control of intellectual property rights. Running along side this, however, is a parallel history of the liberal consumer who does not accept nor fit into this one-dimensional story of global copyright regulation and control: the latest example being the users of internet technologies and social networking. This topical book examines the convergence between these apparently distinct histories. Drawing on a multidisciplinary approach that combines doctrinal analysis and politico-economic study, the book tells a story of the political control of modern copyright and technological change, and how these impact upon and interact with freedom of expression in Western society. In so doing, the book makes an important and timely contribution to current socio-legal debates on popular media, consumption and copyright governance.' - Brad Sherman, Griffith University, Australia

'The book is an interesting view into an area of the law that seems to be holding on to the 'old ways' but hoping that the extensive changes that we are witnessing in technology and society can somehow 'fit'.' - Kristy Richardson

'Readers in North America will benefit from learning about the European and Australian cases, and about possible models that can be applied in the US and Canada.' - Dominic Caristi, Ball State University, USA

'The book provides innovative answers to the difficult questions of copyright and digital media piracy from the social

science perspective and copyright law.' - Journal of Intellectual Property Rights 19 (2014)