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A very Interesting 1992 piece called “Critical Perspectives on the History and Philosophy of Copyright” by RONALD V. BETTIG

I recently came across a fascinating work on the history and theory of copyright law titled Critical Perspectives on the History and Philosophy of Copyright by Ronald V. Bettig, published in 1992. It references some compelling historical studies related to copyright law and, more broadly, knowledge production. I will be discussing some of these in…

Oh, Time, Whither You?

A few months—or perhaps years—ago, I heard a story of a monk, perhaps in one of Osho’s talks, who had recently returned to my mind, making me wonder once again what time truly is, and how deeply it shapes our legal imagination. So the story goes like that: A Zen monk was working in the…

Speech three: Victor Hugo’s Speech of June 25 1878 at Paris Congress

This is the third and final speech where Hugo advocates for the “paying public domain”. Speech no. 1 is here, and speech no.2 is here. Two points are particularly interesting in this speech. One, Hugo interestingly mentions two kinds of heirs to an author—one heir to blood, meaning the author’s immediate family, and the other…

Speech two: Victor Hugo’s Speech of 21 June 1878 at Paris Congess

This is the second speech delivered on 21st June 1878, in which Hugo explains his case for a system that focuses more on society and less on the heirs of authors. Though he finds the interest of heirs just as respectable and worth keeping in mind. Disclaimer – The following text is an English translation…

Speech One: Victor Hugo’s on 17 June 1878 at the Paris Conference

Bonjour, So, I was poring over the minutes of the 1878 Paris conference—the one that set the stage for the Berne Convention of 1886. And I chanced upon Victor Hugo’s first speech on 17th June 1878. He gave three speeches in total, contrary to what some believe to be two. Although I have seen some…

My reading of Locke and the Lockean Desert Theory of the Right to Exclude

In my reading of the Second Treatise’s property chapter, I do not find desert absent  –  that would overreach. Rather, I find desert claims functioning as morally appealing packaging for arguments with instrumental aims. These aims operate at two levels: (i) individual self-preservation in an emerging market society where social relations of production are driven…

Capitalism ≠ Liberty : Notes from Wood and Brenner

Capitalism ¹ Liberty : Notes from Wood and Brenner The conventional narrative posits that capitalism arose naturally from expanding trade, urban development, wealth accumulation, or technological advancement – elements supposedly present throughout history, requiring only liberation from feudal constraints which had stumbled their pre-presence. Ellen Wood’s The Origin of Capitalism and Robert Brenner’s Agrarian Class…

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