Authors, Users, and Pirates

In his inquisitive new book, James Meese reveals the messy, complex historical and sociological realities of copyright law lying underneath the overheated rhetoric of copyright stakeholders. His work serves to demystify the commonly accepted articles of faith about copyright law. Meese considers how the classic figures of copyright law—authors, users, and pirates—have been deconstructed and scattered in the digital age. He considers the waves of disruption wrought by successive digital technologies—search engines, peer-to-peer networks, torrents, social media, and streaming services. Meese provides a punchy and profound philosophical investigation into copyright theory and history. He offers a rich comparative survey of copyright law in practice in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Meese also provides a colorful gallery of courtroom clashes over copyright law and new technologies. This work is sure to be considered in future ages as a classic history of copyright law in the age of YouTube and BitTorrent.

Matthew Rimmer, Professor of Intellectual Property and Innovation Law, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology

Much has been said and written about the mutually constitutive relationship between authors, owners, and users within the copyright constellation. By adding the outlawed figure of the pirate to the mix, this book makes an original and important theoretical contribution to our understanding of copyright, not only as a body of law but also as a cultural practice.

Fiona Macmillan, Professor of Law, Birkbeck, University of London; Visiting Professor of Law at the Universities of Roma Tre, Gothenburg, and University of Technology Sydney