AROUND THE BOOKSTALLS

Among the books that have recently fallen into the IPKat's clutches is Media, Technology and Copyright: Integrating Law and Economics, by Michael Einhorn. Published by Edward Elgar, this volume consists of a series of chapters that focus on specific issues or areas of concern:

* Fair use and economic analysis
* Digital rights management, licensing and privacy
* Napster and peer-to-peer
* Digital music and the anti-commons
* Publicity rights and consumer rights
* Software, search and data
* Open source and innovative copyright

The author, an economic consultant and expert witness who is active in the fields of media, intellectual property and technology, has sought to present an accessible and easy-to-read account of the synthesis of the various topics to which the book's title alludes. By and large he has achieved this aim, perhaps because he has not allowed himself to become bogged down in technical arguments and has allowed the complexities of his subject-matter to unfold in relatively general, accessible terms. The text is clearly addressed to an American readership, but this is hardly surprising since the vast majority of recent technological, legal and policy developments involving the new technologies and copyright have emanated from the United States.

In conclusion, this volume -- which is not only readable but pretty manageable at a little more than 200 pages -- is more than an introduction to the place of modern copyright law within its econo-technological context; it is a pleasurable read.