No end of books

No end of books - so the IPKat is citing a couple more of them, in case you ever thought that electronic publishing had brought the paper publishing industry to its knees ...

Copyright Law and Practice

Magnum opus. The IPKat's friend and fellow blogger William Patry (a.k.a. Senior Copyright Counsel, Google Inc.) has announced the publication of his magnum opus on US copyright law, Copyright Law and Practice. Bill writes:

“I read far in excess of 1,000 cases, hundreds of law review articles, dozens of books, and … drawn on my own 8 years in drafting statutes while a federal legislative branch attorney”.

Notwithstanding this ordeal, he appears to have retained both his sanity and his sense of humour, though to lose either under such sustained provocation would be perfectly understandable.

Bravely, Bill has launched a spin-off, the Patry Treatise Blog, as a vehicle for dialogue with readers and interested parties. The IPKat is sitting by his specially enlarged letterbox, awaiting the review copy. Once it arrives, he’ll let you know what he thinks. In the meantime, he says “well done!”

Music Distribution and the Internet

Music Distribution and the Internet: a Legal Guide for the Music Business, by
Andrew Sparrow (founder of New Media solicitors Lecote), reflects the rising interest of publishers Gower (no relation of Gowers) in the publication of intellectual property-related titles. Published in 2006, this book is a welcome addition to the growing wave of titles on the subject.

What the publisher says: "There is hardly an aspect of internet music promotion, sale and distribution which does not have a legal dimension. Since the stakeholders in the process includes artists, their managers, music publishers, record companies, distribution companies and the consumer, the law relating to internet music distribution is extremely complex.

Andrew Sparrow's Music Distribution and the Internet provides those connected to the music and media industries with a guide to the legal requirements they must meet, answering questions such as:

• How should you conclude contracts with consumers over the internet?
• What are the various legal terms and conditions that should govern the sale of physical product to online music buyers?
• How should a website user's personal information be handled?
• What limitations are there on the way this data may be used for ongoing marketing of an artist's work or the merchandise associated with it?
• What are the latest copyright laws in this area and how do they apply to the internet?

The book provides practical advice on how to approach key relationships with the internet buying consumer and other online media providers. The law is explained in straightforward terms and applied throughout in a music business context. …”.

What the IPKat says: This book is a good deal less daunting than was feared. Thick paper, clear large type, generous margins and plenty of white space combine to ease the reader's progress. The writing is pretty clear too, almost to the point of lulling the reader into asking where all the problems are. It's aimed at the business community, not at the lawyer, which means that (i) it isn't lavishly garnished with tables of cases, statute lists and footnotes, but (ii) it is written to remind the business reader that his job is to get on with it and do the business, not play the lawyer. Of particular interest is the short chapter on 'Disability Discrimination Issues for Music Websites', which alerted the IPKat to issues that certainly hadn't occurred to him previously.

Bibliographic details: Price £55/US$99.95; ISBNs 0 566 08709 X and 13: 978-0-566-08709-7. Hardback vii + 210 pages. Rupture factor: small. Full list of contents here.