Future Knowledge The Copyright Wars
Jun 4, 2025
Historian Peter Baldwin, a UCLA professor and author of The Copyright Wars, joins copyright scholar Pamela Samuelson to delve into 300 years of copyright conflicts. They explore the evolution of copyright laws, contrasting European and U.S. practices, and discuss the implications of Google Books and DMCA safe harbors. The conversation also touches on open access challenges in academia, the complexities of digital lending, and the evolving role of libraries in a digital landscape. A fascinating journey through the battles over intellectual property!
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Google Books Reveals Lasting Divides
- Google Books revealed lingering divergence: Europeans saw it as violating authors' rights while Anglophone reactions were mixed.
- Debates over safe harbors and liability continue to reflect these differing legal philosophies.
Protect Safe Harbors And Fair Use
- Defend flexible exceptions like safe harbors and fair use to protect the internet's growth and user freedoms.
- Push back on overbroad international norms to keep disruptive innovation possible.
Fragmented Stakeholders Drive Policy
- Copyright stakeholders are fragmented: primary authors, derivative creators, disseminators, platforms, and audiences hold divergent interests.
- These splits repeatedly produce internal industry conflicts that shape policy outcomes.