Publication and Copyright Context

This book was first published in 2005. Copyright exceptions or users' rights have become a highly controversial aspect of copyright law.

Recent Legislative Changes

Most recently, Member States of the European Union have been forced to amend their systems of exceptions so as to comply with the Information Society Directive.

Case Study and Analysis

Taking the newly amended UK legislation as a case study, this book examines why copyright exceptions are necessary and the forces that have shaped the present legislative regime in the UK. It seeks to further our understanding of the exceptions by combining detailed doctrinal analysis with insights gained from a range of other sources.

Main Argument

The principal argument of the book is that the UK's current system of permitted acts is much too restrictive and hence is in urgent need of reform, but that paradoxically the Information Society Directive points the way towards a much more satisfactory approach.