This book tells the story of how, over centuries, people, society and culture created laws affecting supply of information. In the 21 century, uniform global copyright laws are claimed to be indispensable to the success of entertainment, internet and other information industries. Do copyright laws encourage information flow?

Chapter 1 – Introduction.- Chapter 2 – Origins.- Chapter 3 – Printing, Reformation and Information Control.- Chapter 4 – The 18TH Century: Liberty and Literary Property: Statutory Copyright.- Chapter 5 – The 18TH Century: Liberty and Literary Property.- Chapter 6 – Property, Copyright and Copyright Internationalism.- Chapter 7 – Statutory Developments and Recognition of Industries.- Chapter 8 – 1920-1940: Performing Right and Radio Broadcasting.- Chapter 9 – UNESCO, the UCC and Copyright Access.- Chapter 10 – A Right to Payment, Neighbouring Rights and the Merits of Copyright.- Chapter 11 – Dominance of the United States and Rise of Digital Economy.- Chapter 12 – Dissent and P2P.- Chapter 13 – Access and Networking.- Chapter 14 – The Meaning and Future of Copyright.- Chapter 15 - Conclusion.

This book tells the story of how, over centuries, people, society and culture created laws affecting supply of information. In the 21st century, uniform global copyright laws are claimed to be indispensable to the success of entertainment, internet and other information industries. Do copyright laws encourage information flow? Many say that copyright laws limit dissemination, harming society. In the last 300 years, industries armed with copyrights controlled output and distribution. Now the internet’s disruption of economic patterns may radically reshape information regulation. Information freedom, a source of emancipation, may change the world.

Provides a brief but concise overview of the history of copyright? Describes the origins of copyright laws, and their effect on information dissemination Explains how technological innovation, far more than economic principle, have determined the shape of modern copyright law