Stylus Magazine Takes A Look At the History of Copyright

[DudeAsInCool]

LargeHeartedBoy tipped me off to this interesting article. It's a shame of creative work has been co-opted by the multi-conglomerates:

Soulseeking

"o every cow her calf, and to every book its copy.” -- Irish King Dermott, 6th c. C.E., in his decision Finnian v. Columba (The “Abbot's Psalter” case). Probably apocryphal"

First, a quick, reductive, capsule history of what would become American copyright today: The story officially began in 1456: Gutenberg introduced his printing press and movable type. Presses were required by their native governments (all monarchies at this point) to hold licenses to practice their business, and these licenses bestowed anything from a few years to forever and ever of regional monopoly on that particular press, sometimes just for specific works, after which the rights were either renewed or granted elsewhere. Authors generally sold their work for a single one-time fee, and relinquished all rights to use or exploit their creation thereafter. The royal license was also often wielded as a cudgel to keep out dissident literature.

Read the whole article at

Stylus Magazine