Abstract
This chapter provides an introduction to copyright and the history and functions of copyright law, as well as international and European trends and developments that have influenced copyright law in the UK. It first considers ‘author’s rights’ and ‘neighbouring rights’ before turning to justifications that have been put forward for copyright, with particular reference to arguments invoking natural rights, rewards and incentives, neoliberal economics, and the ‘democratic paradigm’. The chapter also examines the seven significant treaties that have influenced British copyright law as well as European directives that have had an important and growing impact on British copyright law, including the Software Directive, the Related Rights Directive, and the Information Society Directive.
