Copyright in the Information Society: A Guide to National Implementation of the European Directive

Celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Directive 2001/29/EC on copyright in the information society, this book sheds new light on an important European legal instrument at a crucial stage - not only in the life of the Directive, but indeed for copyright itself.

With a foreword by the 'architect' of the Directive, Dr Jorg Reinbothe, the book contains two further stage-setting parts, first on the WIPO Treaties which formed the basis for the Copyright in the Information Society Directive, and then on the Directive itself. The challenges created for regional and national legislators are also explored and identified, as are the complex compromises and varying levels of discretion left to these lawmakers as they performed their legislative tasks. The local nuances and particularities of the implementation of the Directive in each Member State are examined in detail via 27 diverse and compelling narratives.

Combining academic research with practical features, and addressing copyright issues on international, European, and EU Member States levels, this highly illuminating work will strongly appeal to a wide ranging audience encompassing: academics, researchers and post-graduate law students in the area of international, European and comparative copyright law, in-house counsel legal practitioners, policy makers and government officials.