Media Rights and Intellectual Property

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 media student with a clear understanding of how intellectual property laws shape and are shaped by the needs of the media industry. As Richard Haynes demonstrates, the media industry exploits copyright and trademarks in new and seemingly boundless ways whether it's 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 *Issues of copyright and the Internet.Through case studies, chapter-by-chapter exercises, further reading and selected Internet links Media Rights and Intellectual Property fills the need for a clear and concise guide for the media student not versed in the finer details of media law.

This useful book fills a gap in the textbook literature by dealing with an area we all know to be vitally important but are inclinded to leave up to legal specialists. This useful book fills a gap in the textbook literature by dealing with an area we all know to be vitally important but are inclinded to leave up to legal specialists.

Richard Haynes is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Stirling Media Research Institute, university of Stirling. He is author of Media Rights and Intellectual Property (2005) and co-author with Raymond Boyle of Football in the New Media Age (2004) and The Football Imagination: The Rise of Football Fanzine Culture (1995). He has published widely on media and sport, and has received research awards from the Carnegie Trust, the AHRC and the British Academy in his research on the history of sports broadcasting.