Special message for arts and media professionals
If you work in the performing arts or in the book, music, radio, movie, television, computer, or Internet industries, then I don't need to tell you how important copyright is to your work. If you've wanted to know more about the law, but were afraid to ask--or asked but didn't understand what you heard--then this is a perfect introduction to the field. As stated by Ralph Oman, a lawyer at Dechert in Washington, D. C., previously the United States Register of Copyrights, the book is "a breezy history of copyright . . . with its informal humor, its social history, its non-legal style, and its snappy illustrations." As concluded by Peter Davison, in his review in the Atlantic Monthly, this book "should find a place on the desk of every publisher (online or offline) and also on those of songwriters, illustrators, art directors, and computer hackers."
And if you're in one of the entertainment industries, you probably want to know how you can get other people to understand the importance of copyright in the promotion of artistic and creative works. This is the book you can recommend that, in the words of Mr. Oman, "will help even the teenager-in-the-street understand that artists and writers need copyright to pay the rent and feed their children."
If you are an executive or other employee at a media company or agency, and you would like to help "spread the word" about the importance of copyright, I'd very much like to hear from you. Please email me at the address on the home page of this website.