Date of Graduation
12-2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Communication (MA)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Communication
Advisor/Mentor
Stephanie Schulte
Committee Member
Stephen A. Smith
Second Committee Member
Ron Warren
Keywords
Social sciences, Communication and the arts, Copyright
Abstract
The original purpose of copyright legislation was to grant a temporary economic monopoly to an author of a creative work. This monopoly is meant to incentivize authors to contribute to the public good with works that promote progress in science and art. However, increases in the scope and duration of copyright terms grant overly broad protections and controls for copyright owners, while advances in technology have provided the public with the potential for near-limitless access to information. This creates a conflict between proprietary interest in creative works versus the public's right and ability to access same. Efforts to balance these competing interests must consider the history and changing role of copyright in America, the role of the public domain, and how real property and intellectual property are defined in a digital world.
Citation
Billingsley, E. B. (2013). From Temporary Incentive to Perpetual Entitlement: Historical Perspective on the Evolving Nature of Copyright in America. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/929
Included in
Communications Law Commons, Intellectual Property Law Commons, Public Law and Legal Theory Commons