This critical study of intellectual property in the new media environment highlights the ways in which issues of intellectual property are driving the contemporary media economy, from disputes over downloading music from the Internet to negotiations over David Beckham's image rights. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the book provides the reader with an understanding of how intellectual property laws shape and are shaped by the needs of the media industry. As the book demonstrates, the media industry exploits copyright and trademarks in new and seemingly boundless ways, whether it is the b ... More

This critical study of intellectual property in the new media environment highlights the ways in which issues of intellectual property are driving the contemporary media economy, from disputes over downloading music from the Internet to negotiations over David Beckham's image rights. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the book provides the reader with an understanding of how intellectual property laws shape and are shaped by the needs of the media industry. As the book demonstrates, the media industry exploits copyright and trademarks in new and seemingly boundless ways, whether it is the blockbuster movie Harry Potter or successful children's television programme Bob the Builder. The book focuses on: the underlying importance of intellectual property rights to the media industry, the impact of digitalisation on the protection of copyright, the response of the music industry to digital distribution and copyright piracy, the strategic decisions of broadcasters to acquire sports rights, the importance of tertiary rights and their role in the television marketplace, the emergence of celebrity image rights, and issues of copyright and the Internet.