Author Description

Focusing in particular on legislative initiatives concerning copyright and the internet, this book seeks to explain the reasons why copyright law in the EU has developed in a way perceived to be unduly restrictive yet fundamentally unable to address issues of the territoriality of copyright. Using an inter-disciplinary approach that combines legal analysis with political theory, such as Foucault's networks of power and Culpepper's quiet politics, Farrand explores how success in lobbying for changes in copyright law is the result of complex network relationships, perceptions of industry expertise, and the comparatively low political importance of copyright reform to the average European citizen. Networks of Power in Digital Copyright Law and Policy: Political Salience, Expertise and the Legislative Process therefore presents an original socio-political theoretical framework for assessing developments in copyright law. Written with clarity and new insight, this book will be accessible to those new to the area of political theory and EU law, as well as being eminently suited to researchers and post-graduate students of law and politics. Networks of Power in Copyright Law considers the challenge of creating a harmonised international market for digital services. Pursuing an interdisciplinary perspective on the question of how copyright law remains restrictive, the book addresses the role of industry representatives, collecting societies and legislative/executive bodies in the development of contemporary digital copyright law. Focusing on the European Union, Benjamin Farrand argues that the harmonisation of copyright law is largely defined by the power relationships between legislative/executive bodies and industry representatives.