In this enlightening book James Boyle describes what he calls the range wars of the information age—today’s heated battles over intellectual proper...
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Jan 21, 2011
Brian
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Accessible, top-shelf, clear-minded talk about intellectual property law from one of the leading lights of its liberalization. Most people reading that sentence will turn off. If you survived it, you should probably read the book, because it talks about problems that concern you personally: you, who write reviews on Goodreads and post vacation photos on Flickr and otherwise become an author several times a day. The book is centrally about how the bloat of the copyright system, born of misguid
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Jun 01, 2009
getAbstract
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A warning about the dangers of overly aggressive intellectual property policy
If the current regulatory mindset regarding intellectual property had existed when scientist Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web in 1989, the Internet might never have grown into the remarkable communication, entertainment and archival medium that it is today. Jazz and many other forms of music might never have come into being if governments were as strict decades ago about copyright law as they are More...
If the current regulatory mindset regarding intellectual property had existed when scientist Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web in 1989, the Internet might never have grown into the remarkable communication, entertainment and archival medium that it is today. Jazz and many other forms of music might never have come into being if governments were as strict decades ago about copyright law as they are More...
Feb 04, 2012
Kelly
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This is a brilliant presentation of the evolution and influences of our intellectual property right laws and patent systems as they developed in America. Its written so that its easy to follow, and shows the struggle between innovation and our capitalist model, where they converge, and where they are set against each other. While its especially relevant now, its the notions of how information is allowed to flow through our society is and always will be important. Its also free - the entire work
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May 10, 2011
Nyssa
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James Boyle retains a personable voice throughout the book if he sometimes dwells on some points longer than my layman's attention can focus on them. He introduces the reader not just to current intellectual property law but also to the more abstract notion of what it is we're trying to protect and what we're trying to remote through the use of copyrights and patents.
One of the most interesting points that Boyle brings up is how, because of the low cost of copying in our society, the u More...
One of the most interesting points that Boyle brings up is how, because of the low cost of copying in our society, the u More...
Jun 01, 2011
Ashley
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Not necessarily the book that I would pick up to read for fun but it contained lots of useful and at times interesting information. I think that James Boyle does a great job in engaging the reader. I found the best way to read his book was not to read it from front to back but to just jump right in the center and bounce around from there. It might have been that I was reading it in an online version so my attention span was not the longest.
He made some very good points on the public More...
He made some very good points on the public More...
Jan 14, 2010
zerospinboson
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This book contains one of the best and fairest overviews of the current debate (and a bit on the history) surrounding Intellectual Property Rights that I've seen so far.
IPRs were created in the US to ensure that people would have sufficient incentives to release their private musings, writings or inventions into the public space, giving them a time-limited monopoly on the spread and sale of these works. The main goal, to stress the point, was to make sure that after this initial period, th More...
IPRs were created in the US to ensure that people would have sufficient incentives to release their private musings, writings or inventions into the public space, giving them a time-limited monopoly on the spread and sale of these works. The main goal, to stress the point, was to make sure that after this initial period, th More...
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Jan 23, 2011
Bill
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I just finished this over the weekend as preparation for a brief talk I have to give on privacy issues when libraries offer social networks (Facebook-like services). This is a very entertaining and accessible review of the conflict presented by a 19th and 20th century approach to IP, particularly copyright, in the 21st century. Copyright has become as much a hindrance as a help and Boyle expertly explains the difference and why it matters.
Dec 21, 2008
Paul
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The author makes wonderful use of examples in this book to help bring clarity to the issues around intellectual property. Clarity is just what is needed for such a vague subject. The words intellectual property probably don't mean a lot to most people. This book can help people to understand intellectual property and the damaging effects of letting laws that protect it run rampant. It also does a good job of identifying some sensible guidelines to identify when those laws are needed. I would
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Sep 25, 2010
Gideon
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Mired in some repetition and legalese, Boyle's book is nevertheless a balanced and important investigation of our need to radically overhaul intellectual property. His many examples make clear how outdated and counterproductive our current practices and laws are regarding copyright. It does not help innovation; it prevents it.
Jan 30, 2010
Mike
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An excellent book on the current state of IP law, including some history, policy overviews, and even some case studies. Very accessible and readable. The author even lets his sense of humor show through. Definitely not a dry legal text.
I liked the emphasis on the public domain and why it needs to be protected. As the author admits, the enclosure analogy doesn't work perfectly, as intangible property is different from tangible property. But the author covers this point very well, More...
I liked the emphasis on the public domain and why it needs to be protected. As the author admits, the enclosure analogy doesn't work perfectly, as intangible property is different from tangible property. But the author covers this point very well, More...
Feb 18, 2009
Bryan
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While still a text book and heavy reading at times, this was certainly the most moving non-fiction work I've read. Before I was even finished reading it I was scheming up ways to try to get it into the hands of more people.
Jul 08, 2011
Samantha
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Interesting book - liked his premise towards the end where he compared the commons movement to the early stages of the environmental movement.
May 28, 2009
John
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A very accessible book on the strange course intellectual property law has taken over the past 20 years. While Boyle has a clear agenda about the needs of copyright, the book provides strong historical reasons for his agenda and never gets bogged down in discussion of legal minutiae.
Dec 15, 2008
It's about copyright, or perhaps I should say copyleft. It's for work.
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Apr 27, 2009
Ken
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Absolutely outstanding. Perhaps my favorite of recently read books in this genre, but that's probably as much due to the fact that I'm very clear on the arguments now (and in agreement), so I could just enjoy the content. (all of them are fantastic) Professor Boyle's examples and reasoning are brilliant and powerful, however. He clearly states his concerns with recent (20th century) attempts to enclose and limit the rights of fair use and the public domain, and he also provides potential solutio
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Jun 17, 2010
Benjamin
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Boyle takes a notoriously abstruse topic and makes it quite accessible to the average person. Copyright, and the converse of a public domain, are very important to modern society because of the rising dominance of information as a commodity (software, patents, genetic engineering, etc.), and Boyle makes that come alive with examples, wonderfully coherent logic, and a refreshing sense of humility. Not the easiest of reads, as copyright/public domain argument is a new concept to pretty much everyo
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Apr 12, 2010
Danny
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A fascinating and balanced view of intellectual property law, and the current issues being faced in this area. A reasonably easy read (although can occasionally get bogged down in 'law speak').
Jun 19, 2009
Gareth
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All about copyright, and how the laws being proposed and enacted today, if we'd had them in the past, would mean no World Wide Web, no Jazz, no Disney classics. Grr, big incumbent media companies, grr. I'm shaking my internet fist at you, can you see?
Sep 09, 2011
Kam-Yung
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Fascinating book, that covers the history of Copyright, Patents and Intellectual Property (IP) and how the original intent of the framers have become distorted in modern times.
The chapter on the effects of IP on Databases was fascinating. The sad thing is the lack of political will to act on the actual evidence that providing protection for databases does not promote innovation.
The chapter on the effects of IP on Databases was fascinating. The sad thing is the lack of political will to act on the actual evidence that providing protection for databases does not promote innovation.
Jul 14, 2010
Meredith
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you can read it for free here: http://www.thepublicdomain.org/download/
Feb 02, 2009
Hannah
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Ok, a book about copyright probably doesn't sound very interesting to the non-lawyer, non-librarian audience. But, as James Boyle argues in this very accessible book, issues of intellectual property rights are becoming increasingly relevant to the average person going about her way absorbing and creating contemporary culture. Whether you're interested in music, literature, or biotechnology, you should read this book.
Nov 04, 2011
Kim
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Copyright has become increasingly restrictive over the past 200 years. Initially imagined as a way to provide the spread of knowledge, it has morphed into a lock down on sharing. As the curator of an Institutional Repository, this reality is driven home on a daily basis. We need to educate, inform and work for Open Access, and this book helps to prepare us to do just that.
Apr 25, 2011
Sandeep
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Prof. Boyle ought to be emulated by more public intellectuals. He makes the somewhat arcane topic of intellectual property accessible and interesting. The Public Domain is a well-written, highly persuasive account of how the blind expansion of IP rights has cheated consumers, impeded technological progress and stifled artistic creativity.
Mar 07, 2009
Jmax
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Very short review: EVERYONE needs to read this book. This is the best, sanest, clearest explanation of the point of copyright and how we ought to think about its role in the modern world.
