100 Best Copyright Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best copyright books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Brad Feld, Tim O'Reilly, Mark Manson, and 15 other experts.
1
Lawrence Lessig, "the most important thinker on intellectual property in the Internet era" (The New Yorker), masterfully argues that never before in human history has the power to control creative progress been so concentrated in the hands of the powerful few, the so-called Big Media. Never before have the cultural powers- that-be been able to exert such control over what we can and can't do with the culture around us. Our society defends free markets and free speech; why then does it permit such top-down control? To lose our long tradition of free culture, Lawrence Lessig shows us, is... more

See more recommendations for this book...

2
The author of Free Culture shows how we harm our children—and almost anyone who creates, enjoys, or sells any art form—with a restrictive copyright system driven by corporate interests. Lessig reveals the solutions to this impasse offered by a collaborative yet profitable “hybrid economy”.

Lawrence Lessig, the reigning authority on intellectual property in the Internet age, spotlights the newest and possibly the most harmful culture war—a war waged against our kids and others who create and consume art. America’s copyright laws have ceased to perform their original,...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

3

Information Doesn't Want to Be Free

Laws for the Internet Age

In sharply argued, fast-moving chapters, Cory Doctorow’s Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free takes on the state of copyright and creative success in the digital age. Can small artists still thrive in the Internet era? Can giant record labels avoid alienating their audiences? This is a book about the pitfalls and the opportunities that creative industries (and individuals) are confronting today — about how the old models have failed or found new footing, and about what might soon replace them. An essential read for anyone with a stake in the future of the arts, Information Doesn’t... more

See more recommendations for this book...

4
Hailed by Bruce Sterling as "a political activist, gizmo freak, junk collector, programmer, entrepreneur, and all-around Renaissance geek," the Internet's favorite high-tech culture maven is celebrated with the first collection of his infamous articles, essays, and polemics. Irreverently championing free speech and universal access to information (even if it's just a free download of the newest Britney Spears MP3) he leads off with a mutinous talk given at Microsoft on digital rights management, insisting that they stop treating their customers as criminals. Readers will discover how America... more

See more recommendations for this book...

5
In this enlightening book James Boyle describes what he calls the range wars of the information age—today’s heated battles over intellectual property. Boyle argues that just as every informed citizen needs to know at least something about the environment or civil rights, every citizen should also understand intellectual property law. Why? Because intellectual property rights mark out the ground rules of the information society, and today’s policies are unbalanced, unsupported by evidence, and often detrimental to cultural access, free speech, digital creativity, and scientific innovation. more

See more recommendations for this book...

6
The Internet revolution has come. Some say it has gone. In The Future of Ideas, Lawrence Lessig explains how the revolution has produced a counterrevolution of potentially devastating power and effect. Creativity once flourished because the Net protected a commons on which widest range of innovators could experiment. But now, manipulating the law for their own purposes, corporations have established themselves as virtual gatekeepers of the Net while Congress, in the pockets of media magnates, has rewritten copyright and patent laws to stifle creativity and progress.

Lessig...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

7

Code

Version 2.0

Recommended by Tim O'Reilly, and 1 others.

Tim O'ReillyCode and Other Laws of Cyberspace, by Larry Lessig. One of my all-time favorite quotes is Edwin Schlossberg's "The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think." This book gave me a whole new set of tools for thinking about the complex interplay between four forces: government laws and regulations, social norms, technology, and markets. Lessig makes a simple but... (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

8
This is not your mama's business plan. Mind Your Business is created for entrepreneurial women (and men--you're welcome too!) who want to turn their creative passions into a full-time job. If you dream of building a business doing what you love, this book is for you. So you're sick of the hustle, and ready to take your talents to the next level, but the thought of taking the "leap" is intimidating. You know your craft, but the running a business seems overwhelming and scary. This workbook is designed to inspire you, to help you get organized, and to put you in the driver's seat, with... more

See more recommendations for this book...

9

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(r)

With millions of copies sold, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, educators, and professionals in psychology, sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and justice administration, and other disciplines in which effective communication with words and data is fundamental.


In addition to providing clear guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, and APA style, the Publication Manual offers an authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system and comprehensive...

more

See more recommendations for this book...

10
In this guide for independent filmmakers, entertainment lawyer Donaldson addresses copyright and clearance questions using a minimum of legal jargon. The text is organized in the chronological order in which legal issues are normally encountered when making a film and bringing it to the screen. less

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
11
Models of Integrity examines the relationship between contemporary art and the law through the lens of integrity. In the 1960s, artists began to engage conspicuously with legal ideas, rituals, and documents. The law—a primary institution subject to intense moral and political scrutiny—was a widely recognized source of authority to audiences inside the art world and out. Artists frequently engaged with the law in ways that signaled a recuperation of the integrity that they believed had been compromised by the very institutions entrusted with establishing standards of just conduct. These... more
Recommended by Andrew Russeth, and 1 others.

Andrew Russeth@felixsalmon In her amazing new book (https://t.co/S7WEJhZQST), Joan Kee recounts Douglas Huebler reissuing already-sold works in an attempt to punish a dealer who hadn't paid him his cut. (The collectors were collateral damage.) (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

12
Metaphors, moral panics, folk devils, Jack Valenti, Joseph Schumpeter, John Maynard Keynes, predictable irrationality, and free market fundamentalism are a few of the topics covered in this lively, unflinching examination of the Copyright Wars: the pitched battles over new technology, business models, and most of all, consumers.
In Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars, William Patry lays bare how we got to where we are: a bloated, punitive legal regime that has strayed far from its modest, but important roots. Patry demonstrates how copyright is a utilitarian government...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

13
Copyright reflects far more than economic interests. Embedded within conflicts over royalties and infringement are cultural values--about race, class, access, ownership, free speech, and democracy--which influence how rights are determined and enforced. Questions of legitimacy--of what constitutes "intellectual property" or "fair use," and of how to locate a precise moment of cultural creation--have become enormously complicated in recent years, as advances in technology have exponentially increased the speed of cultural reproduction and dissemination.
In Copyrights and...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

14
Contemporary artists and designers are finding the wood engraving one of the most highly desirable sources of illustration for many design purposes. Simple and bold or capable of the most exquisite effects of tonal gradation, this elegant black-and-white artwork sustains no loss in reproduction and is a perfect complement to typography.
1,419 clear wood engravings present, in natural, lifelike poses, over 1,000 species of animals. Included are many different versions of the familiar animals most wanted and used by commercial artists and craftsmen. Arranged according to the following...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

15
Looking to level-up your art and impress your clients and peers?

Skulls & Anatomy, Copyright Free Vintage Illustrations for Artists & Designers is a collection of 180 high quality, digitised, anatomical drawings for use in personal or commercial creative projects. This is an essential resource to take your art and design to the next level and give you a competitive advantage over your peers.

Vault Editions' team of professional designers and illustrators have spent a lifetime hunting and restoring vintage woodcuts and engravings from around the...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

16
Building on the best-selling success of the original Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook, Helen Sedwick wrote this expanded second edition to help writers stay out of court and at their desks.
Using 30 years of legal experience, Sedwick shows writers how to
• Set up their business
• Protect their copyright
• Avoid infringement
• Spot scams
• Save on taxes
This second edition covers additional topics including
• Choosing a pen name
• Using lyrics and images
• Fighting content theft
• Minimizing defamation and privacy risks
•...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

17

How to Fix Copyright

Do copyright laws directly cause people to create works they otherwise wouldn't create? Do those laws directly put substantial amounts of money into authors' pockets? Does culture depend on copyright? Are copyright laws a key driver of competitiveness and of the knowledge economy? These are the key questions William Patry addresses in How to Fix Copyright. We all share the goals of increasing creative works, ensuring authors can make a decent living, furthering culture and competitiveness and ensuring that knowledge is widely shared, but what role does copyright law actually play in making... more

See more recommendations for this book...

18

Music Law

How to Run Your Band's Business

How to make your band a huge business success

Whether you're recording an album, budgeting a tour, or insuring your vintage guitar, you need solid information to make the right legal and business choices.

Music Law is the all-in-one guide you need. Written by musician and lawyer Rich Stim, it explains everything you need to:
write a partnership agreement
buy, insure, and maintain equipment
use samples and do covers
register your band's name
sell and license your music
get royalties for streaming and downloads
deal with...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

19

Pirate Cinema

Trent McCauley is sixteen, brilliant, and obsessed with one thing: making movies on his computer by reassembling footage from popular films he downloads from the net. In near-future Britain, this is more illegal than ever. The punishment for being caught three times is to cut off your entire household from the internet for a year - no work, school, health or money benefits.

Trent thinks he is too clever for that to happen, but it does, and nearly destroys his family. Shamed and shattered, Trent runs away to London, where slowly he learns the ways of staying alive on the streets. He...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

20

Reclaiming Fair Use

How to Put Balance Back in Copyright

In the increasingly complex and combative arena of copyright in the digital age, record companies sue college students over peer-to-peer music sharing, YouTube removes home movies because of a song playing in the background, and filmmakers are denied a distribution deal when some permissions “i” proves undottable. Patricia Aufderheide and Peter Jaszi chart a clear path through the confusion by urging a robust embrace of a principle long-embedded in copyright law, but too often poorly understood—fair use. By challenging the widely held notion that current copyright law has become... more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21
Copyright governance is in a state of flux because the boundaries between legal and illegal consumption have blurred. Trajce Cvetkovski interrogates the disorganizational effects of piracy and emerging technologies on the political economy of copyright in popular music, film and gaming industries. 
less

See more recommendations for this book...

22
“Reproducible, ready-to-use forms are accompanied by step-by-step descriptions of the process involved in over twenty common legal issues. . . . Well designed and easy to use.” —American Libraries

Legal Forms for Everyone is the ultimate self-help legal guide that will save hours of research time and money in legal fees. Written by an experienced attorney, this book is complete with the most commonly needed, ready-to-use legal forms and precise instructions and checklists on how to use them, as well as advice about when you should hire an attorney. In addition,...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

24
Find free content and save on permission fees!

Millions of creative works--books, artwork, photos, songs, movies, and more--are available copyright-free in the public domain. Whether your tastes run more Jane Austen or Jane Eyre, Beethoven or Irving Berlin, Edvard Munch or Claude Monet, you'll find inspiration in The Public Domain.

The only book that helps you find and identify which creative works are protected by copyright and which are not, The Public Domain covers the rules for:
writings
music
art
photography
more

See more recommendations for this book...

25

Complete Copyright

Librarians face a myriad of copyright dilemmas every day and as copyright law evolves and new interpretations emerge, libraries play a key role in representing the public in the copyright debate. But how do new copyright laws affect traditional services and new virtual reference user services? What must librarians do to ensure that staff and patrons fully exercise copyright exemptions, like fair use? Offering a wealth of information on library copyright concerns in a vibrant, highly accessible format, Complete Copyright is a must-have resource for your library. ALA copyright expert Russell... more

See more recommendations for this book...

26

Year Zero

Low-level entertainment lawyer Nick Carter thinks it’s a prank, not an alien encounter, when a redheaded mullah and a curvaceous nun show up at his office. But Frampton and Carly are highly advanced (if bumbling) extraterrestrials. And boy, do they have news. The entire cosmos, they tell him, has been hopelessly hooked on humanity’s music ever since “Year Zero” (1977 to us), when American pop songs first reached alien ears. This addiction has driven a vast intergalactic society to commit the biggest copyright violation since the Big Bang. The resulting fines and penalties have bankrupted the... more

See more recommendations for this book...

27
Lush allegorical ladies, Grecian maids and Victorian maidens, Indians, Japanese, dancers, housewives, courtesans; women dancing, smiling, working, weeping, flirting — an unusually rich sourcebook of feminine poses and activities, costumes, clothing, everyday life, and much more. Images selected from rare issues of Leslie's Weekly, The London Illustrated News, The Graphic, and more. 488 illustrations. less

See more recommendations for this book...

29

Against Intellectual Monopoly

"Intellectual property"—patents and copyrights—have become controversial. We witness teenagers being sued for "pirating" music, and we observe AIDS patients in Africa dying due to lack of ability to pay for drugs that are high priced to satisfy patent holders. Are patents and copyrights essential to thriving creation and innovation—do we need them so that we all may enjoy fine music and good health? Across time and space the resounding answer is: No. So-called intellectual property is in fact an "intellectual monopoly" that hinders rather than helps the competitive free market regime that has... more

See more recommendations for this book...

30

Against Intellectual Property

This monograph is justifiably considered a modern classic. Stephan Kinsella has caused libertarians worldwide to rethink the very basis of intellectual property.

Mises warned against patents, and so did Rothbard. But Kinsella goes much further. He argues that the very existence of patents — and copyrights and trademarks, too — is contrary to a free market. They all use the state to create artificial scarcities of nonscarce goods and employ coercion in a way that is contrary to property rights and the freedom of contract.

Many who read this book will be unprepared for the...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31
LEARN THE RIGHT WAY...

...to set your book up for long-term success, improve sales opportunities, and protect your investment, including: Everything you need to know about ISBNs, Barcodes, Copyright, & LCCNs.Make sure your book can be distributed by any distributor.Never have to abandon your hard-earned reader reviews.Ensure your book can be printed by any printer.Add your book to the major book industry databases.Prevent your advance reading copies from being re-sold.Avoid legal headaches and missed filing deadlines.

"Straightforward and easy to digest, this is one...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

32
(Berklee Press). With the free-form exchange of music files and musical ideas online, understanding copyright laws has become essential to career success in the new music marketplace. This cutting-edge, plain-language guide shows you how copyright law drives the contemporary music industry. By looking at the law and its recent history, you will understand the new issues introduced by the digital age, as well as continuing issues of traditional copyright law. Whether you are an artist, lawyer, entertainment Web site administrator, record label executive, student, or other participant in the... more

See more recommendations for this book...

33
This extraordinary collection of engravings provides designers and commercial artists with a magnificent sourcebook of Victorian-era plant images — all royalty-free. Included are 2,400 crisply detailed illustrations of hundreds of plants — from lilies, lichens, mushrooms and marigolds, to poppies, palms, maples, and mosses.
Selected from rare publications dating from the 1840s to the turn of the century, the illustrations encompass a wide range of plant species and classifications: garden flowers, cactuses, bromeliads, ferns, deciduous trees, evergreens, grasses, legumes, orchids,...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

34

The Copyright Wars

Three Centuries of Trans-Atlantic Battle

Today's copyright wars can seem unprecedented. Sparked by the digital revolution that has made copyright--and its violation--a part of everyday life, fights over intellectual property have pitted creators, Hollywood, and governments against consumers, pirates, Silicon Valley, and open-access advocates. But while the digital generation can be forgiven for thinking the dispute between, for example, the publishing industry and Google is completely new, the copyright wars in fact stretch back three centuries--and their history is essential to understanding today's battles. "The Copyright... more

See more recommendations for this book...

36
Create. Share. Credit.

Repeat.



You are an educator and a creator and a curator. You have insight into what your students need, and you have ideas for designing instructional materials that lead to authentic learning experiences. With that in mind, you want to pull from the best resources for your students--which often means working beyond the textbook or pre-packaged curriculum. But how can you do so responsibly?

In Copyrighteous, educator Diana Gill encourages teachers, administrators, and students to use and...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

37
If you license or publish images, this guide is as indispensable as your camera. It provides specific information on the legal rights of photographers, illustrators, artists, covering intellectual property, copyright, and business concerns in an easy-to-read, accessible manner. The Copyright Zone, Second Edition covers: what is and isn't copyrightable, copyright registration, fair use, model releases, contracts and invoices, pricing and negotiation, and much more.



Presented in a fun and easy to digest style, Jack Reznicki and Ed Greenberg, LLC help explain the...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

38
We all create intellectual property. We all use intellectual property. Intellectual property is the most pervasive yet least understood way we regulate expression. Despite its importance to so many aspects of the global economy and daily life, intellectual property policy remains a confusing and arcane subject. This engaging book clarifies both the basic terms and the major conflicts surrounding these fascinating areas of law, offering a layman's introduction to copyright, patents, trademarks, and other forms of knowledge falling under the purview of intellectual property rights. Using vivid... more

See more recommendations for this book...

39
In 1998, copyright lobbyists succeeded in persuading Congress to enact laws greatly expanding copyright owners' control over individuals' private uses of their works. The efforts to enforce these new rights have resulted in highly publicized legal battles between established media, such as major record labels and motion picture studios, and upstart Internet companies, such as MP3.com and Napster.

The general public is used to thinking of copyright (if it thinks of it at all) as marginal and arcane, and it hasn't paid much attention as legislation to expand copyright moved through...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

40
This updated edition provides practical guidance for implementing APA's Journal Article Reporting Standards for Quantitative Research (JARS-Quant) and Meta-Analysis Reporting Standards (MARS).


less

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
41
In the decade and a half since Napster first emerged, forever changing the face of digital culture, the claim that “internet pirates killed the music industry” has become so ubiquitous that it is treated as common knowledge. Piracy is a scourge on legitimate businesses and hard-working artists, we are told, a “cybercrime” similar to identity fraud or even terrorism. In The Piracy Crusade, Aram Sinnreich critiques the notion of “piracy” as a myth perpetuated by today’s cultural cartels—the handful of companies that dominate the film, software, and especially music industries. As digital... more

See more recommendations for this book...

43
This classic guide for artists is completely revised and updated to provide an in-depth view of the legal issues facing the visual artist today and provides practical legal guidance for any visual artist involved with creative work. Among the many new topics covered in this comprehensive guide are: detailed coverage of the myriad developments in copyright (including online copyright registration procedures and use of art on the Internet); changes in laws protecting artists in artist-gallery relationships are explained in depth; scope of First Amendment protections for graffiti art and the... more

See more recommendations for this book...

44
It was a time when music fans copied and traded recordings without permission. An outraged music industry pushed Congress to pass anti-piracy legislation. Yes, that time is now; it was also the era of Napster in the 1990s, of cassette tapes in the 1970s, of reel-to-reel tapes in the 1950s, even the phonograph epoch of the 1930s. Piracy, it turns out, is as old as recorded music itself.

In Democracy of Sound, Alex Sayf Cummings uncovers the little-known history of music piracy and its sweeping effects on the definition of copyright in the United States. When copyright...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

46

Examples & Explanations for Copyright

A favorite classroom prep tool of successful students that is often recommended by professors, the Examples & Explanations (E&E) series provides an alternative perspective to help you understand your casebook and in-class lectures. Each E&E offers hypothetical questions complemented by detailed explanations that allow you to test your knowledge of the topics in your courses and compare your own analysis.

Here's why you need an E&E to help you study throughout the semester:


Clear explanations of each class topic, in...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

47

Since the rise of Napster and other file-sharing services in its wake, most of us have assumed that intellectual piracy is a product of the digital age and that it threatens creative expression as never before. The Motion Picture Association of America, for instance, claimed that in 2005 the film industry lost $2.3 billion in revenue to piracy online. But here Adrian Johns shows that piracy has a much longer and more vital history than we have realized—one that has been largely forgotten and is little understood.

Piracy explores the intellectual property wars from the advent...

more

See more recommendations for this book...

48

Copyright's Paradox

Providing a vital economic incentive for much of society's music, art, and literature, copyright is widely considered "the engine of free expression"--but it is also used to stifle news reporting, political commentary, historical scholarship, and even artistic expression. In Copyright's Paradox, Neil Weinstock Netanel explores the tensions between copyright law and free speech, revealing the unacceptable burdens on expression that copyright can impose. Tracing the conflict across both traditional and digital media, Netanel examines the remix and copying culture at the heart... more

See more recommendations for this book...

49

Music Copyright Law

Gain an in-depth understanding of a topic that is vital to the success of anyone in or entering the music industry, with MUSIC COPYRIGHT LAW. From songwriters and performers to managers, producers, and agents - everyone is affected by the issues covered in this book. Avoiding the technical jargon and "lawyerspeak" that bogs down other books on the subject, the book explores the world of copyright law and hones in on how it applies to music. It begins by building a foundational knowledge of the fundamentals of copyright law, what it protects, the benefits of registering a copyright, and what... more

See more recommendations for this book...

50
Whether your goal is to retire on a remote island or simply spend more time with your family, this book can you get you there. Discover 14 passive income strategies that everyday people are using to take back control of their time and make the most of their lives. Yes, you can now live the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed about, and enjoy multiple streams of income.

If you are sick and tired of making your boss rich, working hard for little pay, living paycheck to paycheck, or just want to dramatically upgrade your current lifestyle, this is the book that can change everything....
more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
51
Scaricare senza pagare - musica, film, software, videogame, libri - è l'attività più popolare in rete. Nonostante leggi sempre più severe, la violazione del copyright è ormai dilagante. Spaziando fra Stati Uniti, Italia e Svezia, questa inchiesta racconta l'emergere di una nuova modalità di pensiero, che inneggia al saccheggio della proprietà intellettuale come atto di disubbidienza civile. Fa parlare le moltitudini di pirati. Documenta le ragioni tecniche, sociali e politiche, e gli interessi, che impediscono la repressione di un fenomeno tanto eversivo. Spiega perché i principi su cui si... more

See more recommendations for this book...

52
This jargon-free guide clarifies principles for applying copyright law to 21st-century education, discusses what is permissible in the classroom, and explores the fair use of digital materials. less

See more recommendations for this book...

54
The development of new digital technologies has led to fundamental changes in the ways that cultural institutions fulfill their public missions of access, preservation, research, and education. Many institutions are developing publicly-accessible websites in which users can visit online exhibitions, search collection databases, access images of collection items, and in some cases create their own digital content. Digitization, however, also raises the possibility of copyright infringement. It is imperative, therefore, that staff in libraries, archives, and museums have a good understanding of... more

See more recommendations for this book...

55

Free Software, Free Society

Selected Essays

This collection includes historical writings such as The GNU Manifesto, which defined and launched the activist Free Software Movement, along with new writings on hot topics in copyright, patent law, and the controversial issue of "trusted computing."
Stallman takes a critical look at common abuses of copyright law and
patents when applied to computer software programs, and how these
abuses damage our entire society and remove our existing freedoms. He
also discusses the social aspects of software and how free software
can create community and social...

more

See more recommendations for this book...

56
Gillespie's book focuses on how the shift toward 'technical copy protection' in the battle over digital copyright depends on changing political and commercial alignments that are profoundly shaping the future of cultural expression in a digital age. less

See more recommendations for this book...

58

Makers

From the New York Times bestselling author of Little Brother, a major novel of the booms, busts, and further booms in store for America

Perry and Lester invent things—seashell robots that make toast, Boogie Woogie Elmo dolls that drive cars. They also invent entirely new economic systems, like the “New Work,” a New Deal for the technological era. Barefoot bankers cross the nation, microinvesting in high-tech communal mini-startups like Perry and Lester’s. Together, they transform the country, and Andrea Fleeks, a journo-turned-blogger, is there to document it.
more

See more recommendations for this book...

59
"Copyright for Librarians" (CFL) is an online open curriculum on copyright law that was developed jointly with Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society.
The goal is to provide librarians in developing and transition countries information concerning copyright law. More specifically, it aspires to inform librarians concerning copyright law in general; the aspects of copyright law that most affect libraries; and how librarians in the future could most effectively participate in the processes by which copyright law is interpreted and shaped.
First launched in 2010, the number...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

60
A decade ago the vast majority of mainstream music was funneled through a handful of media conglomerates. Now, more people are listening to more music from a greater variety of sources than at any time in history. And big corporations such as Viacom, Clear Channel, and Sony are no longer the sole gatekeepers and distributors, their monopoly busted by a revolution -- an uprising led by bands and fans networking on the Internet. "Ripped" tells the story of how the laptop generation created a new grassroots music industry, with the fans and bands rather than the corporations in charge. In this... more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
61

Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer

This bestselling book in the field provides a complete introduction to the physical origins of heat and mass transfer. Noted for its crystal clear presentation and easy-to-follow problem solving methodology, Incropera and Dewitt's systematic approach to the first law develops reader confidence in using this essential tool for thermal analysis. Readers will learn the meaning of the terminology and physical principles of heat transfer as well as how to use requisite inputs for computing heat transfer rates and/or material temperatures. less

See more recommendations for this book...

62
Men in strange flying machines … Mysterious veiled women … Exotic animals, birds, insects, plants … Eerie faces … Wonderful technological devices … Unusual landscapes, cityscapes, moonscapes … Children, couples, Victorian buildings, and interiors … Over 300 authentic and strikingly visual nineteenth-century engravings selected from rare periodicals, books, and catalogs, dating mostly from 1870 to 1900, and valuable for collagists, commercial and graphic artists, designers, illustrators, and others.
These rare pictures, both real and imagined, of relics, rituals, people, animals, and...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

63
A broad introduction to the changing roles of intellectual property within society

Intellectual property is one of the most confusing—and widely used—dimensions of the law. By granting exclusive rights to publish, manufacture, copy, or distribute information and technology, IP laws shape our cultures, our industries, and our politics in countless ways, with consequences for everyone, including artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, and citizens at large. In this engaging, accessible study, Aram Sinnreich uncovers what’s behind current debates and what the future holds for...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

64
It started with punk. Hip-hop, rave, graffiti, and gaming took it to another level, and now modern technology has made the ideas and innovations of youth culture increasingly intimate and increasingly global at the same time.

In The Pirate's Dilemma, VICE magazine's Matt Mason -- poised to become the Malcolm Gladwell of the iPod Generation -- brings the exuberance of a passionate music fan and the technological savvy of an IT wizard to the task of sorting through the changes brought about by the interface of pop culture and innovation. He charts the rise of various...

more

See more recommendations for this book...

65
Inspired by Strunk & White's The Elements of Style, this elegant, short reference is the perfect guide for screenwriters and creative artists looking to succeed as industry professionals. Readers will quickly understand the laws that govern creativity, idea-making, and selling, and learn how to protect themselves and their works from the legal quagmires they may encounter. Written by an unrivaled pair of experts, John L. Geiger and Howard Suber, who use real-life case studies to cover topics such as clearance, contracts, collaboration, and infringement, Creativity and... more

See more recommendations for this book...

66
This no-nonsense guide arms writers with all the legal information and techniques needed to obtain permission and copyrights. Discusses libel problems and issues that frequently occur during the preparation and publication of an author's work. Covers the latest information regarding online and multimedia works, including clearing permissions for television and film clips, music and lyrics, and photographs. less

See more recommendations for this book...

67
This book is an artist's guide to copyright, written for makers. Both practical and critical, it will guide you through the concepts underlying copyright and how they apply in your practice.
How do you get copyright? For what work? And for how long? How does copyright move across mediums, and how can you go about integrating the work of others? Copy This Book details the concepts of authorship and original creation that underlie our legal system, equipping the reader with the conceptual keys to participate in the debate on intellectual property today.
"This sharp and useful...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

68

Explore the Rocky Mountain High Peaks

Bask in the beauty of Colorado s mountains and landscapes. The book is full of breathtaking and inspiring images created by Colorado photographers. The book has two main audiences: First, author Brian Tedesco and his contributors provide photo enthusiasts and professional photographers alike with detailed instructional text that describes how each breathtaking featured image was made. Readers will learn surefire strategies for selecting and packing the appropriate photo gear, finding exquisite lighting, maximizing camera settings, and getting an accurate exposure so that they can create... more

See more recommendations for this book...

69

Ready-to-Use Celtic Designs

Graphic designer Mallory Pearce has rendered 96 different designs, in three different sizes, featuring the sinuous interlacements, stylized mythical creatures, abstracts, geometrics, and other elements that give Celtic art its distinctive look. Clear, crisp, and professionally drawn, these motifs will lend themselves to a host of art and craft purposes. less

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
71
Gain an in-depth understanding of a topic that is vital to the success of any student entering the music industry with MUSIC COPYRIGHT LAW. Avoiding the technical jargon and "lawyerspeak" that bogs down other books on the subject, the book explores the world of copyright law and hones in on how it applies to music. It begins by building a foundational knowledge of the fundamentals of copyright law, what it protects, the benefits of registering a copyright, and what to do when copyright has been infringed. Once the fundamentals are established, coverage expands to include controversies... more

See more recommendations for this book...

72
“No writer, beginning or experienced, will want to be without this book.” —Jean Auel, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Clan of the Cave Bear and the Earth’s Children series
A career as a writer involves much more than the act of writing itself. In The Law (in Plain English) for Writers, Fifth Edition, Leonard DuBoff and Sarah Tugman proffer invaluable advice for the myriad legal and business facets of being a writer. Readers will discover how to succeed in every area affecting a writer's livelihood, such as submissions, dealing with agents, taxes,...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

73
When Franz Kafka died in 1924, his loyal friend Max Brod could not bring himself to fulfill Kafka’s last instruction: to burn his remaining manuscripts. Instead, Brod devoted his life to championing Kafka’s work, rescuing his legacy from obscurity and physical destruction.
Nearly a century later, an international legal battle erupted to determine which country could claim ownership: Israel, where Kafka dreamed of living, or Germany, where Kafka’s three sisters perished in the Holocaust? Benjamin Balint offers a gripping account of the controversial trial in Israeli courts— brimming with...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

74

The Case for Copyright Reform

Legalized file sharing, shorter protection times for the commercial copyright monopoly, free sampling, and a ban on DRM. These are the main points of the proposal for copyright reform that the Pirate Party is advocating. This is a constructive alternative to the controversial ACTA agreement, and to the criminalization of the entire young generation. less

See more recommendations for this book...

75
Common as Air offers a stirring defense of our cultural commons, that vast store of art and ideas we have inherited from the past and continue to enrich in the present. Suspicious of the current idea that all creative work is intellectual property, Lewis Hyde turns to America's Founding Fathers--men like Adams, Madison, and Jefferson--in search of other ways to imagine the fruits of human wit and imagination. What he discovers is a rich tradition in which knowledge was assumed to be a commonwealth, not a private preserve.
For the founders, democratic self-governance itself demanded open...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

76
One of the Web’s most celebrated high-tech culture mavens returns with this second collection of essays and polemics. Discussing complex topics in an accessible manner, Cory Doctorow’s visions of a future where artists have full freedom of expression is tempered with his understanding that creators need to benefit from their own creations. From extolling the Etsy makerverse to excoriating Apple for dumbing down technology while creating an information monopoly, each unique piece is brief, witty, and at the cutting edge of tech. Now a stay-at-home dad as well as an international activist,... more

See more recommendations for this book...

77
Because silhouettes have a unique capacity to capture attention and communicate quickly and clearly, they are especially useful in advertising and communications. The silhouettes in this splendid collection, selected from an archive of late-19th- and early-20th-century graphic arts, offer designers and artists nearly 1,000 designs ideal for illustrating a vast array of subjects.
The human profile and figure, coiffed and dressed in many different ways; familiar animals, flowers and birds; coaches, planes, automobiles, ships, and much, much more are generously represented in this treasury...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

78
If you're using copyrighted material, don't get sued--get permission!
Online or off, before you use some or all of a song, photo, book, or any other work covered by copyright law, you need to get permission first. If you don't, you could end up facing legal action from the rights-holder. This easy-to-use book shows you how to get the rights you need, with step-by-step instructions and more than 30 forms. Find out when permission is required, who to ask, and when (and how much) you can expect to pay. Getting Permission explains:



the copyright...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

79
The continual demand among graphic artists for floral and botanical illustrations, combined with the perennial popularity of the Victorian style, have inspired this practical royalty-free collection. Artist Carol Belanger Grafton has selected 344 handsome and botanically accurate wood engravings from two notable botanical classics: Paxton's Flower Garden by John Lindley and Sir Joseph Paxton, 1850–53; and The Natural History of Plants: Their Forms, Growth, Reproduction, and Distribution by Anton Kerner von Marilaun and F. W. Oliver, 1902.
Illustrations include exquisitely...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

80

The Last Bookaneer


book'a-neer' (bŏŏk'kå-nēr'), n. a literary pirate; an individual capable of doing all that must be done in the universe of books that publishers, authors, and readers must not have a part in

London, 1890—Pen Davenport is the most infamous bookaneer in Europe. A master of disguise, he makes his living stalking harbors, coffeehouses, and print shops for the latest manuscript to steal. But this golden age of publishing is on the verge of collapse. For a hundred years, loose copyright laws and a hungry reading public created a unique opportunity: books could easily be published...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
81
In the 1930s, the Fashion Review Service offered a wide selection of advertising spots to small clothing and department stores that had no art staffs of their own. The cuts provided an accurate depiction of the latest fashion trends―hemline lengths, use of fur trims, sleek silhouettes, lapel widths, and much more.
This volume reproduces hundreds of illustrations from issues of that now-rare periodical. A "must-have" for graphic artists looking for authentic fashions of the 1930s, this collection of more than 470 illustrations depicts, in sharp and easy-to-reproduce detail, formal...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

82
Ted Striphas argues that, although the production and propagation of books have undoubtedly entered a new phase, printed works are still very much a part of our everyday lives. With examples from trade journals, news media, films, advertisements, and a host of other commercial and scholarly materials, Striphas tells a story of modern publishing that proves, even in a rapidly digitizing world, books are anything but dead.

From the rise of retail superstores to Oprah's phenomenal reach, Striphas tracks the methods through which the book industry has adapted (or has failed to adapt)...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

83
This book is a must read for any copywriter and anyone looking to understand the new realities of the brand creativity business.
A memorable slogan has been the cornerstone of every great ad campaign. In the past, writing one great headline could launch a career. But today's advertising campaigns are interactive, multi-platform and ongoing, and the copywriter's canvas is vast. At any given time, a copywriter may be conceiving a video game, writing a TV show, maintaining a Twitter feed, creating a mobile app or an interactive installation or, yes, writing a headline or a TV script.
more

See more recommendations for this book...

85
Copyright law is important to every stage of media production and reception. It helps determine filmmakers' artistic decisions, Hollywood's corporate structure, and the varieties of media consumption. The rise of digital media and the internet has only expanded copyright's reach. Everyone from producers and sceenwriters to amateur video makers, file sharers, and internet entrepreneurs has a stake in the history and future of piracy, copy protection, and the public domain.

Beginning with Thomas Edison's aggressive copyright disputes and concluding with recent lawsuits against...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

86
How did the newspaper, music, and film industries go from raking in big bucks to scooping up digital dimes? Their customers were lured away by the free ride of technology. Now, business journalist Robert Levine shows how they can get back on track.

On the Internet, “information wants to be free.” This memorable phrase shaped the online business model, but it is now driving the media companies on whom the digital industry feeds out of business. Today, newspaper stocks have fallen to all-time lows as papers are pressured to give away content, music sales have fallen by more...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

87
How did the Depression-era folk-song collector Alan Lomax end up with a songwriting credit on Jay-Z’s song “Takeover”? Why doesn’t Clyde Stubblefield, the primary drummer on James Brown recordings from the late 1960s such as “Funky Drummer” and “Cold Sweat,” get paid for other musicians’ frequent use of the beats he performed on those songs? The music industry’s approach to digital sampling—the act of incorporating snippets of existing recordings into new ones—holds the answers. Exploring the complexities and contradictions in how samples are licensed, Kembrew McLeod and Peter DiCola... more

See more recommendations for this book...

88
The essential guide to intellectual property law for all media producers—students and teachers, amateurs and professionals

In today's complex media environment, aspiring filmmakers and new media artists are as vulnerable as swimmers in shark-infested waters. This user-friendly guide supplies creative artists with the essential legal concepts needed to swim safely with lawyers, agents, executives, and other experts in intellectual property and business law.

How do I copyright my screenplay? How can I clear rights for my film project? What can I do to avoid legal...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

89
Reality television is the growth area of television today. Individuals around the country want to be involved, whether in front of the camera or behind, and those who want to produce reality television seek to attract talent—maybe from the local beauty salon or perhaps the rodeo, extermination company, or trucking company—to begin taping their own "sizzle" reels to pitch to Hollywood production companies. At long last, here is a book that explains and educates those involved in reality television (and those who hope to be involved) regarding the terms found in these agreements and how best to... more

See more recommendations for this book...

90
In Ghana, adinkra and kente textiles derive their significance from their association with both Asante and Ghanaian cultural nationalism. Adinkra, made by stenciling patterns with black dye, and kente, a type of strip weaving, each convey, through color, style, and adornment, the bearer’s identity, social status, and even emotional state. Yet both textiles have been widely mass-produced outside Ghana, particularly in East Asia, without any compensation to the originators of the designs.

In The Copyright Thing Doesn’t Work Here, Boatema Boateng focuses on the appropriation...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
91
Hollywood Dealmaking has become the go-to resource for new and experienced entertainment attorneys, agent trainees, business affairs executives, and creative executives. Entertainment attorneys and Hollywood insiders Dina Appleton and Daniel Yankelevits explain the negotiation techniques and strategies of entertainment dealmaking and detail the interests and roles of producers, writers, actors, directors, agents, and studio employees in crafting a deal. This new edition captures the dramatic changes over the past five years in the film and television industry landscape, with two new... more

See more recommendations for this book...

92

Bound by Law?

Tales from the Public Domain

A documentary is being filmed. A cell phone rings, playing the "Rocky" theme song. The filmmaker is told she must pay $10,000 to clear the rights to the song. Can this be true? "Eyes on the Prize", the great civil rights documentary, was pulled from circulation because the filmmakers' rights to music and footage had expired. What's going on here? It's the collision of documentary filmmaking and intellectual property law, and it's the inspiration for this comic book. Follow its heroine Akiko as she films her documentary, and navigates the twists and turns of intellectual property. Why do we... more

See more recommendations for this book...

93
The story of copyright is the history of the entertainment industry, encompassing books, music, movies, television, and even computers and the Internet, just to scratch the surface. Since its inception in America under "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning," copyright law has been the primary protector of original works of authorship. Over the course of its history, however, myriad technological developments have produced constant pressure on the law, forcing copyright to adapt or expand to accommodate our creations.

In The Illustrated Story of Copyright, Professor...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

94
During the past fifteen years, changes in technology have generated an extraordinary array of new ways in which music and movies can be produced and distributed. Both the creators and the consumers of entertainment products stand to benefit enormously from the new systems. Sadly, we have failed thus far to avail ourselves of these opportunities. Instead, much energy has been devoted to interpreting or changing legal rules in hopes of defending older business models against the threats posed by the new technologies. These efforts to plug the multiplying holes in the legal dikes are failing and... more

See more recommendations for this book...

95
Outlines the fundamentals of copyright as they apply to writers, photographers, artists, and anyone corresponding over the Internet. less

See more recommendations for this book...

96
From authors to editors, literary agents to journalists, anyone who works with words confronts an astonishing variety of legal puzzles and perils. This easy-to-use guide to writers rights and responsibilities will help users navigate this legal maze and work more profitably. Part legal dictionary, part publishing encyclopedia and chock-full of helpful how-to advice, Author Law A to Z addresses key concepts in the publishing field. Styled as a series of alphabetical entries, this reference book makes it easy for readers to locate answers to specific questions, get help with a particular... more

See more recommendations for this book...

97
Most people believe that our rights to privacy and free speech are inevitably in conflict. Courts all over the world have struggled with how to reconcile the two for over a century, and the rise of the Internet has made this problem more urgent. We live in an age of corporate and government surveillance of our lives. And our free speech culture has created an anything-goes environment on the web, filled with hurtful and harmful expression and data flows. In Intellectual Privacy, Neil Richards offers a solution that ensures that our ideas and values keep pace with our technologies.... more

See more recommendations for this book...

98

The Law of Public Communication

Focusing on the implications of the law for practitioners, this annually updated text examines legal issues affecting journalism, political and commercial speech, and electronic media. The 2005 Edition of this top-selling media law text includes the most current information available, explaining the law as it applies to the daily work of writers, broadcasters, advertisers, cable operators, Internet service providers, public relations practitioners, photographers, and other public communicators. By presenting statutes and cases in a cohesive manner that is understandable even to students... more

See more recommendations for this book...

99
The invention of writing was one of the most important technological, cultural, and sociological breakthroughs in human history. With the printed book, information and ideas could disseminate more widely and effectively than ever before—and in some cases, affect and redirect the sway of history. Today, nearly one million books are published each year. But is the era of the book as we know it—a codex of bound pages—coming to an end? And if it is, should we celebrate its demise and the creation of a democratic digital future, or mourn an irreplaceable loss?

The digital age is...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

100
Freedom of Expression® covers the ways in which intellectual property laws have been used to privatize all forms of expression—from guitar riffs and Donald Trump’s “you’re fired” gesture to human genes and public space—and in the process stifle creative expression. Kembrew McLeod challenges the blind embrace of privatization as it clashes against our right to free speech and shared resources.

Kembrew McLeod is professor of communication studies at the University of Iowa, author of Owning Culture: Authorship, Ownership, and Intellectual Property Law, and coproducer of the...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Copyright books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.