Talfourd's Copyright Bill was first presented in 1837, and the public and Parliamentary controversy it provoked is reflected in contemporary pamphlets, correspondence, and hundreds of petitions presented to Parliament, as well as in the changing aims of the Bill. This book explores and sets in context the making of the Copyright Act of 1842, using it to illuminate enduring issues and difficulties in the legal concept of intellectual property. A unique feature for legal historians is Appendix II in which Dr. Seville traces the progress of eleven versions of the Bill.

Technological developments have shaped copyright law's development, and now the prospect of endless, effortless digital copying poses a significant challenge to modern copyright law. Many complain that copyright protection has burgeoned wildly, far beyond its original boundaries. Some have questioned whether copyright can survive the digital age. From a historical perspective, however, many of these 'new' challenges are simply fresh presentations of familiar dilemmas. This book explores the history of international copyright law, and looks at how this history is relevant today. It focuses on...

Technological developments have shaped copyright law's development, and now the prospect of endless, effortless digital copying poses a significant challenge to modern copyright law. Many complain that copyright protection has burgeoned wildly, far beyond its original boundaries. Some have questioned whether copyright can survive the digital age. From a historical perspective, however, many of these 'new' challenges are simply fresh presentations of familiar dilemmas. This book explores the history of international copyright law, and looks at how this history is relevant today. It focuses on...

Talfourd's Copyright Bill was first presented in 1837, and the public and Parliamentary controversy it provoked is reflected in contemporary pamphlets, correspondence, and hundreds of petitions presented to Parliament, as well as in the changing aims of the Bill. This book explores and sets in context the making of the Copyright Act of 1842, using it to illuminate enduring issues and difficulties in the legal concept of intellectual property. A unique feature for legal historians is Appendix II in which Dr. Seville traces the progress of eleven versions of the Bill.