Without Copyrights: Piracy, Publishing, and the Public Domain (Modernist Literature & Culture)
"[D]oes a masterful job of exploring the intersection between European and American publishing, economics, and copyright law in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. . . . Spoo's book is a must for anyone interested in the history of copyright law or the publishing industry. His clear writing style makes the book accessible to every audience. Summing Up: Highly recommended." -- J. D. Graveline,CHOICE"A riveting account of U.S. copyright law's 'Wild West' origins. Highly recommended." --Library Journal(starred review)"No work better puts copyright in its place. This beautiful book is essential reading for the remaking copyright will need." -- Lawrence Lessig, author ofRepublic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress--and a Plan to Stop It"The many pitfalls and paradoxes of copyright are the subject of Robert Spoo'sWithout Copyrights, a wonderfully detailed study of how transatlantic modernism was shaped by laws surrounding the production and distribution of texts. What emerges is a revolutionary account of the ways that copyright and obscenity laws determined if, when and where modernist works could travel." --London Times Literary Supplement"[A] remarkable tale... Careful and definitive." -- Caleb Crain,The Nation"Fascinating." --Publishers Weekly"A quite fascinating exploration... Makes for interesting and quite good reading. From its perfect opening anecdote -- James Joyce responding to a Society of Authors complaint about an unauthorized performance of a Shaw play -- to its focus on the fascinating story ofUlysses, it's full of entertaining titbits, and includes a variety of complex characters...Without Copyrightswould seem essential reading for anyone dealing with copyright, but it is certainly also of interest to those with only a more casual interest in the law, the times, the authors, and these works." -CompleteReview"The public domain is the battleground for some of the fiercest and most consequential struggles in the entire world of intellectual property.  By delving into its unexpectedly rich history, Robert Spoo's revelatory book shows why.  As we strive for policies, laws, and norms to preserve the public domain and facilitate its creative potential, we need books like this to remind us of how high the stakes really are." --Adrian Johns, author ofPiracy: The Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates"Spoo is a great scholar of both copyright law and literature.  He is also a gifted storyteller.  This book takes readers on a splendid journey through publishing houses, courtrooms, and legislatures, illuminating the path of American copyright law." --Lior Jacob Strahilevitz, author ofInformationand Exclusion"Robert Spoo's magisterial survey of the legal conditions that both frustrated and enabled the emergence of modernism is many books in one:  a previously unwritten chapter in the making of our literature; a unique insight into the complicated dance between intellectual property and cultural production; a subtle exploration of the freighted concept of literary 'piracy;' and--ultimately--a compelling plea for the recognition of a universal public domain.    Spoo's deep research and narrative grace makeWithout Copyrightsa deeply satisfying reading experience:  the story boasts colorful characters, unexpected incident, and surprising measures of both humor and pathos-and it is told in a voice that is as lively and unexpected as the episodes it recounts." --Peter Jaszi, coauthor ofReclaiming Fair Use: How to Put Balance Back in Copyright"A true expert illuminates what is often obscured: how isolationist US laws conditioned the reception of modern writing.  The much maligned pirates and their world come alive in this elegant and just  book. Spoo's clearheaded unravelling  of some arcane technicalities is a delight. A liberating addition to Joyce studies." --Justice Adrian Hardiman, MRIA, Supreme Court of Ireland"[A] deeply researched case study of the complicated American copyright situation surrounding the great literary landmark of the 20th century, James Joyce's 1922 novelUlysses." --Los Angeles Review of Books