The Illustrated Story of Copyright (Hardcover)

~ Edward Samuels (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Starting from the perspective of the future of technological innovations such as computers and software, Samuels looks into the past, placing those innovations in historical context and giving life to what is generally considered an esoteric subject. He notes that U.S. copyright laws have been sufficiently flexible and adaptive to accommodate new issues. He examines contemporary issues from the MP3 music-sharing litigation to restrictions on copying video- and audiotapes. The book reads, in part, like a popular commentary on how regular people may be breaking the law. Interestingly, before the U.S. became an exporter of intellectual property after World War II, it was a rogue nation, a pirate of copyrighted work from Europe, primarily Britain. As a leader in technology and commerce, however, the U.S. has been influenced by international copyright standards. Besides the technicalities of varying terms of copyrights--the current term is the life of the author plus 70 years--readers will enjoy learning how copyright applies to pop-cultural products, from movies to musicals to computer software. Vernon Ford
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Review

"A lively and informed introduction to copyright law, The Illustrated Story of Copyright is as timely as it is readable." -- Paul Goldstein, Stanford Law School, author of Copyright's Highway

"Copyright is often seen as an impediment to personal enjoyment, or as the engine of corporate greed. In this hostile environment, Professor Edward Samuels's The Illustrated Story of Copyright...is a welcome corrective. Samuels brings to life the inventors, investors, authors and users whose sometimes competing interests shaped the...contours of modern copyright law." -- Jane C. Ginsburg, Morton L. Janklow Professor of Literary and Artistic Property Law, Columbia University School of Law

"Not since . . . An Unhurried View of Copyright [1967] has anyone written so lucid and entertaining a book about this . . . subject." -- The Atlantic Monthly (Peter Davison, December 2000)

"Readers will enjoy learning how copyright applies to pop-cultural products, from movies to musicals to computer software." -- Booklist (Vernon Ford)

"[Prof. Samuels] gives us a lively sampling of both copyright law and copyright lore...With its informal humor, its social history, its non-legal style, and its snappy illustrations, it will place the current controversies over digital technologies in their historic continuum...Absolutely absorbing from cover to cover." -- Ralph Oman, former Register of Copyrights

***** stars: [D]ownright fun. . . . Samuels has succeeded wildly. . . . [A] comprehensive book on a substantial topic, . . . both accessible and enjoyable. -- Inscriptions Magazine (Audrey Snowden, April 2001)

. . . [S]ucceeds brilliantly. . . . [for] a general audience. General practitioners will find demystification, copyright practitioners will find depth. Buy it. -- New York Law Journal (Raymond Dowd, May 25, 2001)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (December 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312261764
• ISBN-13: 978-0312261764
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,100,170 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Open Book, March 13, 2001

By	George Conk (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the more important books of our time, January 24, 2003

By	Rebekah Sue Harris (West Haven, CT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Illustrated Story of Copyright (Paperback)

"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.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Copyrights made easy, August 5, 2002

By	"jeff_in_mexico" (Texcoco, Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Illustrated Story of Copyright (Paperback)

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.