Copyright law is rapidly changing. The digitisation of content and the growth of the Internet pose many challenges to the way copyright-protected material is protected, licensed and managed. The two World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Treaties of 1996 dealing with copyright, related rights and new technology gave fresh legislative impetus to efforts in Europe to adapt and harmonise copyright law to the challenges of the information society. The result was the 2001 Copyright Directive. This Directive was implemented into UK law on 31 October 2003 by Statutory Instrument. This book was the first UK text to examine digital copyright together with related areas such as performers' rights, moral rights, database rights and competition law as a subject in its own right. It was first published by Butterworths in 2001 and has now been revised to take account of the UK implementation of the Directive. The opportunity has also been taken to update it generally. The focus is on an examination of the new law together with the practical aspects: precedents and precedent checklists dealing with common digital copyright transactions are included across a range of industries and sectors.
Academics, researchers, and students will find the book helpful in putting digital copyright law into perspective. Practising lawyers, rights managers, and anyone concerned with the exploitation and management of digital content or data in academia, publishing, media, software, galleries and museums, finance, commerce and industry will find the book an invaluable guide.