This is a rewritten and expanded edition of Gillian Davies’well-regarded 1994 monograph examining the basic justifications for copyright, including its moral and economic functions in the light of the public interest. It explores the origins of copyright in Western Europe and the underlying principles governing copyright legislation in the UK, USA, France and Germany. It further contains a discussion of the future of copyright, examining the impact of digital technology on copyright and the legal frameworks required for protection in the world of the Internet, as well as of the extent to which international developments are taking account of the public interest in the effort to meet the challenges of the digital environment.
