War in Iran
The headlines are built on long histories and debates.
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Copyright
Now might be a good time to brush up on copyright rules.
Posted on May 15, 2025 in Hot Topic
Benson, Sara R. Compact copyright: quick answers to common questions. ALA Neal-Schuman, 2021. 176p bibl index ISBN 9780838937563 pbk, $54.99; ISBN 9780838938034 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE August 2022
Copyright issues permeate many areas of librarianship and teaching. Benson (Univ. of Illinois) combines her legal training and library background to produce an accessible work that should be included in every academic library’s collection. From her efficient organization to her easy-to-understand explanations, Benson does everything right. The book’s 18 chapters are relatively brief, and the book addresses a wide variety of topics. In addition to looking at such copyright basics as fair use, public domain, and library preservation exceptions, Benson covers such specialized topics as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Controlled Digital Lending (CDL), and sovereign immunity. Each chapter follows the same structure, which makes the book easy for readers to follow: text of relevant statutes, a plain language discussion of the law, common scenarios readers will encounter, and additional tools and references for further reading. The book is well indexed and includes three appendixes, one a handy fair use checklist. Benson packs a lot of information into this compact book. Even those with little or no copyright knowledge will feel more confident after reading it. [Disclaimer: Choice is part of the American Library Association, which published this book.] Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. —J. D. Graveline, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Coaching copyright, ed. by Kevin L. Smith and Erin L. Ellis. ALA Editions, 2019 (c2020). 188p bibl index ISBN 9780838918487 pbk, $59.99; ISBN 9780838918791 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE April 2020
Coaching Copyright is a must read for librarians who regularly interact with copyright law—which is to say, all librarians. Copyright is notoriously complex in its applications in academic settings, and one can find a number of resources that distill these complex ideas and outline their relevance to librarians. Smith and Ellis’s book does this and more. The real and significant value of this collection of essays is its exploration of applications. The contributors, the editors among them, teach readers how to think through copyright issues and how to coach others to do the same. The book offers a framework of five questions to ask “clients” (a term intentionally deployed) to help them navigate copyright issues, and invites the reader to think about this navigation as a form of coaching. As Smith writes in the opening essay, librarians should “approach copyright education in libraries one person, and one unique set of issues, problems, and needs, at a time.” This is important advice for both the copyright coach and the administrator allocating resources. The remaining nine essays offer case studies exploring aspects of coaching copyright in a wide variety of settings. [Disclosure: Choice is part of the American Library Association, which published this book.] Summing Up: Essential. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals. —A. Wesolek, Vanderbilt University
Copyright and other fairy tales: Hans Christian Andersen and the commodification of creativity, ed. by Helle Porsdam. E. Elgar, 2006. 172p ISBN 1845426010, $85.00; ISBN 9781845426019, $85.00.
Reviewed in CHOICE November 2006
The title of the last essay (of eight) in this volume gives an idea of its contents: “Imagining a World without Copyright: The Market and Temporary Protection, a Better Alternative for Artists and the Public Domain.” Beginning with the introduction by Porsdam (American studies, Univ. of Southern Denmark), the subject of this book is copyright law–its history, present state, possible future, and rights and wrongs. The book’s central issue is how “the present state of copyright law … threatens the remix of culture and creativity.” Vital to this discussion is “whether or not to remain within the underlying regime of intellectual property law, and what sort of reforms are needed.” The essays are provocative. They argue that the integrity of the artistic work and the “protection of traditional cultural creativity” must be protected, yet one must recognize the enormous value (and creativity) of Hans Christian Andersen’s “transformative use of the cultural commons.” Many creators other than Andersen–from Dickens to Australian Aboriginal peoples–fill these pages; accordingly, this volume will stretch the mind. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. —J. G. Holland, Davidson College
Copyright: best practices for academic libraries, ed. by Donna L. Ferullo and Dwayne K. Buttler. Rowman & Littlefield, 2023. 282p bibl index ISBN 9781538168219, $65.00; ISBN 9781538168226 ebook, $61.50.
Reviewed in CHOICE May 2024
Even experienced librarians can find copyright a broad, labyrinthine subject, and developing a single resource that addresses matters of copyright that are most relevant to libraries without getting bogged down in legal complexities is an immense challenge. Ferullo (Purdue) and Buttler (Univ. of Louisville) have brought together essays written by professionals with extensive experience at the intersection of libraries and copyright. In addition to addressing longstanding concerns around topics such as fair use and archives—the latter a subsection of libraries that is frequently overlooked in reference materials—this book also looks at contemporary subjects that are on the verge of being very relevant for academic libraries, e.g., text and data mining. Among the collection’s highlights are the numerous citations of court cases and valuable takeaways helpfull for self-evaluation. Immensely useful for any institution, this convenient manual will be invaluable to those with concerns specific to their holdings, as well as an excellent textbook for library/information science courses that delve into copyright law. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals. —K. Rivera, Florida Gulf Coast University
Fishman, Stephen. The public domain: how to find & use copyright-free writings, music, art & more. 3rd ed. NOLO, 2006. 535p ISBN 1413304540 pbk, $34.99; ISBN 9781413304541 pbk, $34.99.
Reviewed in CHOICE June 2007
Fishman offers an excellent resource that will be particularly valuable in an academic setting. Written in clear lay language by an intellectual property attorney, it is a unique guide to finding and using copyright-free material with no permission or fees necessary. In addition, it includes information on obtaining copyright permission if public domain material cannot not found. Chapters cover all formats from writings to music, maps, video, choreography, and software, among others. Following each chapter’s table of contents is a checklist of questions to ask about copyright status of the work under study. Each chapter/format contains background information and a logical progression of questions for a step-by-step process to decision making. An extensive treatment of sources of public domain materials completes each chapter. Informative sidebars are scattered throughout. Appendixes include popular songs in the public domain, Roman numeral conversions, and a public domain documentation worksheet. Jam-packed with complex information conveyed in an easy-to-understand style, this volume is indispensable for anyone using creative works. Summing Up: Essential. All libraries; all levels. —M. M. Strange, University of Wisconsin—LaCrosse
Greenleaf, G. W. Public rights: copyright’s public domains, by Graham Greenleaf and David Lindsay. Cambridge, 2018. 609p bibl index ISBN 9781107134065, $155.00; ISBN 9781108664752 ebook, $124.00.
Reviewed in CHOICE February 2019
Greenleaf (Univ. of New South Wales, Australia) and Lindsay (Univ. of Technology, Australia) tilt the axis on the study of copyright by placing the public domain front and center, giving it renewed attention. They argue that the public domain is not a “single concept.” Rather, it is a set of “public rights.” To support that they flesh out 15 public domain categories, analyzing how treatment differs by country or region. Categories include the use of works under compulsory or voluntary licensing as well as categories created through copyright law. The comprehensive international focus gives this work a welcomed panoramic scope. The authors provide a detailed table of international legislation, directives, and treaties. Most helpful is the comparative analysis of national laws. Greenleaf and Lindsay build on the work of scholars such as David Lange, L. Ray Patterson, Pamela Samuelson, Jessica Litman, Ronan Deazley and Lawrence Lessig. Readers will find a detailed index and valuable bibliography. The book is a good complement to the recent work by another Australian scholar, James Meese, Authors, Users and Pirates (CH, Jan’19, 56-2088). Highly recommended for faculty and students of copyright law and for reference collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. —C. LeBeau, University of Missouri
Haber, Eldar. Criminal copyright. Cambridge, 2018. 277p index ISBN 9781108416511, $99.99; ISBN 9781108403917 pbk, $34.99; ISBN 9781108271035 ebook, $28.00.
Reviewed in CHOICE February 2019
Haber (Univ. of Haifa, Israel) examines the blurred distinction between criminal and civil infringements. Using history, law, sociology, and politics, Haber explains how shifting attitudes on criminal copyright infringements have caused attitudes on culture in the US to shift. The book provides historical and legal foundations for the reasoning on these societal and legal changes. The bulk of the book examines how politics has impacted the legal components of copyright infringement. The disproportionate administration of the criminal copyright, according to Haber, has created a society where retribution is at the forefront of the discussion, which means punishment becomes a discussion when correction would be more appropriate. Haber finishes the book with deliberate, reflective, and detailed examples of how the cultural discussion of copyright infringement has shifted drastically over time. There are many books on the copyright law, but not one that provides such an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the impact of criminal copyright law on American society. Criminal Copyright is an important book in the field best suited for anyone generally interested in issues related to copyright law, criminal copyright, and the role of legal culture in the field. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. —A. R. S. Lorenz, Ramapo College
Lai, Amy Tak-Yee. The right to parody: comparative analysis of copyright and free speech. Cambridge, 2019. 240p index ISBN 9781108427388, $110.00; ISBN 9781108588881 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE September 2019
This reviewer found much to like about this treatise on how parody should be approached from a legal perspective. For one thing, in the introduction Lai (Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver) establishes the influence on the book of Robert Merges’s Justifying Intellectual Property (2011) and does an excellent job of delineating how she approaches a defense of parody through natural law theories. Lai divides the book into two sections. The first looks at the philosophical underpinnings of the argument. Here the author discusses why a broad parody exception should be explicit in the law. The second section looks at parody as a universal right that can be applied in jurisdictions around the world. Individual chapters in this section cover the US, Canada, Britain, France, and Hong Kong. Coverage of France looks closely at how moral rights fit with parody, and the chapter on Hong Kong demonstrates how parody can be used to provide a free-speech haven. Well sourced and including a detailed index, the book is geared toward a legal audience with the intent to broaden and support a right to parody. The prose is readable but dense. Despite its perfunctory and rather brief conclusion, the book offers a strongly argued position on parody. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. —A. Reichert, Otterbein University
Rae, Casey. Music copyright: an essential guide for the digital age. Rowman & Littlefield, 2021. 188p bibl index ISBN 9781538104835, $90.00; ISBN 9781538104842 pbk, $30.00; ISBN 9781538104859 ebook, $34.00.
Reviewed in CHOICE September 2022
Casey Rae’s Music Copyright: An Essential Guide for the Digital Age is a must-have reference for any musician or music teacher and anyone who engages with music, e.g., skaters who use music in performance or competition. Rae’s experience as an author, a professor, a musician, and especially a music business professional and licensing specialist qualifies him to offer advice in the ever-developing world of copyright. The book’s layout is outstanding and well served by an extraordinarily detailed table of contents. An appendix lists industry and music creator organizations; performing rights and mechanical royalty collectives; and legislative, regulatory, and rate-setting bodies. Rae, who has taught widely and is currently director of music licensing for SiriusXM, provides practical advice about the laws for digital music, public performance, recordings, fair use, registration, licensing, publishing, podcasts and music collections, and—of utmost importance—reform and barriers to change. The book will certainly help musicians keep up-to-date on the ever-changing social media used in all walks of life. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels. —V. S. Xenakis, formerly, State University of New York College at Cortland
Skladany, Martin. Copyright’s arc. Cambridge, 2020. 205p bibl index ISBN 9781108484787, $110.00; ISBN 9781108723558 pbk, $34.99; ISBN 9781108588492 ebook, $28.00.
Reviewed in CHOICE January 2022
Skladany (Penn State Dickinson Law) evokes a picture of current copyright law as a global regime intended to protect media and entertainment titans, not creators’ rights. He posits that copyright can suppress new expressions of creativity and maintain the status quo with respect to dominant social norms, with different results depending on the financial status of the country of intended use or effect. Skladany proposes that copyright should no longer be considered a “one size fits all” idea for the world but be administered at local levels to protect consumers and creators alike and to become a force for the common good. He believes that the monopolies “big copyright” creates in developed countries hold back the creation of works that would help break down the stereotypes and adverse social messaging prevalent in works protected by copyright. In middling and underdeveloped countries, copyright is, in effect, used to keep local voices silent, whether via litigation or through laws that favor certain established norms. This book offers a well-written, thought-provoking examination of global copyright and its effect on the voices of artists throughout the world. It will be an excellent addition to any collection on copyright law. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. —G. Johnson, Governors State University