Public Rights

Access to works in the public domain is an important source of human creativity and autonomy, whether in the arts, scientific research or online discourse. But what can users actually do with works without obtaining the permission of a copyright owner? Readers will be surprised to find how many different kinds of permitted usage exist around the world. This book offers a comprehensive international and comparative account of the copyright public domain. It identifies fifteen categories of public rights and gives a detailed legal explanation of each, showing how their implementation differs between jurisdictions. Through this analysis, the authors aim to restore balance to copyright policy debates, and to contribute to such debates by making practical law reform proposals. A major intervention in the field of intellectual property law and copyright, this book will appeal to lawyers, scholars and those involved in the administration of copyright law.

Graham Greenleaf is Professor of Law and Information Systems in the Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales, Sydney. His publications include Asian Data Privacy Laws: Trade and Human Rights Perspectives (2014). In 2010 he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) for his work on free access to legal information and protection of privacy.

David Lindsay is Professor in the Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, Australia. He is the General Editor of the Australian Intellectual Property Journal (AIPJ) and author of International Domain Name Law: ICANN and the UDRP (2007).