Non-conventional copyright: an economic perspective

Abstract

Today’s marketplaces for creative products are anything but homogeneous. Products, actors, structure – virtually any market for products of the human mind (seen in light of potential copy-right protection) is unique and in flux. Yet, legal doctrine still offers a largely uniform level of rights protection. Such monolithic invariance is the root of many problems, namely a ubiquitous tendency of over-protection. So far, much of the discussion neglects the reality of modern copyright. What is required, therefore, is a closer look at the specific circumstances of the many real-world scenarios. Indeed, looking at this book’s many examples where non-conventional subject matter of copyright can be found, provides for a rich and inspiring object of analysis – in particular under an economic lens.