Aaron Perzanowski and Jason Schultz
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780262035019
- eISBN:
- 9780262335959
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262035019.003.0002
- Subject:
- Information Science, Library Science
This chapter outlines the conceptual framework for the rest of the book by describing the basic principles of personal and intellectual property law. The default rules of ownership used to define the ...
More
This chapter outlines the conceptual framework for the rest of the book by describing the basic principles of personal and intellectual property law. The default rules of ownership used to define the purchasers’ rights, allowing for resale, lending, gifting and many other forms of transaction by the consumer. Now, with the rise of the digital economy, consumer rights are defined through licenses, which impose various restrictions on consumers’ disposition of their digital goods. Among the traditional rules of ownership, the exhaustion principle is particularly important for mediating the tension between intellectual property holders and consumers. Exhaustion is the notion that an IP rights holder relinquishes some control over a product once it sells or gives that product to a new owner. IP rights holders have resisted exhaustion at nearly every turn, and the licensing model allowed them to infuse new vigor into their resistance.Less
This chapter outlines the conceptual framework for the rest of the book by describing the basic principles of personal and intellectual property law. The default rules of ownership used to define the purchasers’ rights, allowing for resale, lending, gifting and many other forms of transaction by the consumer. Now, with the rise of the digital economy, consumer rights are defined through licenses, which impose various restrictions on consumers’ disposition of their digital goods. Among the traditional rules of ownership, the exhaustion principle is particularly important for mediating the tension between intellectual property holders and consumers. Exhaustion is the notion that an IP rights holder relinquishes some control over a product once it sells or gives that product to a new owner. IP rights holders have resisted exhaustion at nearly every turn, and the licensing model allowed them to infuse new vigor into their resistance.
Aaron Perzanowski and Jason Schultz
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780262035019
- eISBN:
- 9780262335959
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262035019.001.0001
- Subject:
- Information Science, Library Science
The digital economy has great potential, but it also entails risks. The notion of personal property and ownership is under threat because of the shift to digital distribution and ubiquitous embedded ...
More
The digital economy has great potential, but it also entails risks. The notion of personal property and ownership is under threat because of the shift to digital distribution and ubiquitous embedded software. This book makes a case for the importance of ownership in the digital age. It argues that the rights associated with ownership serve critical functions of promoting cultural preservation and innovation as well as protecting consumer autonomy. Technological developments and the aggressive efforts of IP rights holders, however, are gradually eroding the concept of ownership. There has been a disconcerting trend of courts bypassing the default rules of property law; the rights acquired by consumers through purchase are defined instead by license agreements drafted by IP rights holders or retailers. In addition to license agreements, IP rights holders also employ technological methods such as Digital Rights Management (DRM) to restrict consumer use and protect their intellectual property. The matter is made worse by online retailers’ insufficient disclosure, which frequently uses words like “buy” or “own” to offer false promises of ownership. The loss of personal property rights has serious consequence not just for individual consumers; an important institutional actor – the public library – is also struggling to deal with the shift to digital collections and the corresponding restrictions imposed by IP rights holders. In response to these threats to ownership, the book explores legal as well as technological solutions, and presents a powerful argument for informed consumer choice in the digital marketplace.Less
The digital economy has great potential, but it also entails risks. The notion of personal property and ownership is under threat because of the shift to digital distribution and ubiquitous embedded software. This book makes a case for the importance of ownership in the digital age. It argues that the rights associated with ownership serve critical functions of promoting cultural preservation and innovation as well as protecting consumer autonomy. Technological developments and the aggressive efforts of IP rights holders, however, are gradually eroding the concept of ownership. There has been a disconcerting trend of courts bypassing the default rules of property law; the rights acquired by consumers through purchase are defined instead by license agreements drafted by IP rights holders or retailers. In addition to license agreements, IP rights holders also employ technological methods such as Digital Rights Management (DRM) to restrict consumer use and protect their intellectual property. The matter is made worse by online retailers’ insufficient disclosure, which frequently uses words like “buy” or “own” to offer false promises of ownership. The loss of personal property rights has serious consequence not just for individual consumers; an important institutional actor – the public library – is also struggling to deal with the shift to digital collections and the corresponding restrictions imposed by IP rights holders. In response to these threats to ownership, the book explores legal as well as technological solutions, and presents a powerful argument for informed consumer choice in the digital marketplace.
