ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to set the scene for what follows by tracing the history of how the concept of copyright arose, some of the different copyright philosophies, and, in particular, the flurry of initiatives proposing copyright reform at international, multinational and national levels. The publishing industry – and by association the trade in publishing rights – is inextricably linked to the existence and recognition of copyright. Copyright provides protection for what are often termed ‘works of the mind’; it covers not only original literary works but many other creative works, including music, recordings, films, art, sculpture and photography, as well as works in digital form such as computer programs and databases. The Directive included a reproduction right, a right of digital transmission and a right of communication to the public, and required member states to provide remedies against the circumvention of technical systems of protection and identification of copyright material.
