2005•International Journal of Law and Information TechnologyRequires access
Rethinking Copyright Alternatives
Lior Zemer
Open publisher page 6 citations
Abstract
Copyright law protects the creative and labourious expression of thoughts, and its eventual manifestation in intangible commodities. It is the law that controls the availability of cultural and social properties. One of the leading controversies in copyright law is the balance required between the protection provided for rightholders and the wider public interest. Copyright law provides the author with an exclusive property right for a limited time, over the copyright works he produces. A proper balance between the rights of authors and artists and the public interest is yet to be found. This is one of the main reasons why scholars keep reminding us that there exists some sense of uncertainty as to the direction copyright law is taking us. Some even proclaim ‘the death of copyright’,1 warn us about ‘the escalating copyright wars’,2 argue that the institution of intellectual property is ‘in crisis’,3 or simply remark...