Music and copyright

Did you know that in Italian law a translator can claim rights income from the original song, whatever its language? Or that in the next thirty years we can expect to see multiple editions of classic Beatles, Presley and Dylan tracks as the original recordings go out of copyright? This book takes a closer look at the state of intellectual property in the age of digital technology and globalisation.

It shows how copyright law determines the structure of the international music business today and actually works against the interests of musical creativity. Written by music researchers and journalists, it highlights problems and solutions for the music industry and lawyers in Britain, the USA, Japan, Germany, Ghana and Canada amongst other countries, and analyses the cultural issues at work in new legislation.