Copyright, Property and the Social Contract

This book provides international perspectives on the law of copyright in relation to three core themes - copyright and developing countries; the government and copyright; and technology and the future of copyright. The third theme includes an examination of the extent to which technology will dictate the development of the law, and a re-examination of the role of copyright in fostering innovation and creativity. As a critique, one chapter discusses how certain rights can create or reinforce social inequality under copyright royalty systems. Underlying these themes is the role the law of copyright has in encouraging or impeding human flourishing.

John Gilchrist is a Senior Research Fellow in Law at the Australian Catholic University.  He holds postgraduate degrees and qualifications from four Australian Universities.  He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia.

Dr Gilchrist has been involved with intellectual property as a policy and practicing lawyer and as an academic over a period of four decades. He was the Secretary of the Australian Copyright Law Committee on Reprographic Reproduction (the Franki Committee) and a member of the Australian Copyright Law Review Committee on its Crown Copyright reference. He has published numerous articles and a monograph on government copyright issues.

Brian Fitzgerald is Professor of Law at the Australian Catholic University and was the Foundation Dean of Law from 2012-2015. He holds postgraduate degrees in law from Oxford University and Harvard University and a current practising certificate as a Barrister.