The Internet Versus Copyright?

Abstract

This chapter provides theoretical insight into power relations in the field of online copyright enforcement. It studies the history, rationales and discourses of the Internet and copyright. The history of the Internet and copyright teaches us that choices are continually made in the development of a technology or policy. Further, this chapter analyzes the costs and benefits of copyright infringement. Piracy causes loss in the media industries, but benefits other parts of the economy. Digitization and the Internet challenge the creation of artificial scarcity. Finally, the chapter explains the political and legal reality of online copyright enforcement policies. Online copyright enforcement policies are likely to be framed as extensions of existing offline approaches.