In summer 2023, attorney and BLS Library volunteer Grace Pickering substantially revised this Copyright Law research guide. BLS librarians continue to add new free and subscription sources. When you access this guide in future, please reload this web page. In guide boxes highlighting books, books appear in alphabetical order. This guide box links to these relatively new BLS subscription databases: Billboard, The Fashion Law and Center for Art Law > Case Review. BLS now uses OpenAthens to support BLS students' remote access to many digital resources. See: BLS Library Technology: Remote Access: Signing In.
BLS librarians are tracking future publication of: The Oxford Handbook of Music Law and Policy, edited by Seán M. O'Connor, Allen Grubman Chair in Media and Entertainment Law, Brooklyn Law School.
See also BLS Library's research guide: Art, Cultural Heritage & Law.
Need help identifying material to support your research? Email: askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu or text: (718) 734-2432
Ebook accessible through a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
Excerpt from book abstract: "[T]ackles the lack of synchronicity between art and copyright law, proposing practical and interdisciplinary tools through which to navigate this conflict....Using Swiss copyright law as the main case study, the book comparatively assesses other international legal frameworks."
Ebook. 1 copy is available.
Excerpt from book description: "[E]xplores the relationship between copyright law, online anonymity, and creative user-generated content (CUGC). Presenting original empirical findings, the book evaluates the co-existence of copyright law and normative systems regulating a CUGC landscape made up of artists, photographers, and writers, and makes novel recommendations for copyright reform"
Ebook. Multiple digital copies are available.
Excerpt from book description: "Copyright laws around the world have addressed the many issues brought about by streaming services, whether lawful or not, ranging from copyright enforcement, artists’ remuneration to liability of video-sharing platforms and cultural diversity. This book presents an extensive comparative analysis of legislative and judiciary efforts to adapt to this technological and cultural revolution."
Ebook. 1 copy is available.
Excerpt from book description: "[P]resents an original theory of copyright authorship tailored for photographic works, grounded in the concepts of categorical intention, channelled selection, and causation. By addressing the unique dual nature of photography, where mechanical processes intersect with creative choices, it offers a fresh perspective on a longstanding legal challenge."
Ebook. 1 copy is available.
Excerpt from book description: Combines "details on copyright ownership as well as authorship into a single volume on best practices for administrators, journal publishers, research managers, and policy drafters within and outside of higher education."
Ebook. 1 copy is available.
Excerpt from book description: Examines "the impact of copyleft on copyright and the law of ownership" and "considers the rights of authors and creators, legal limits and complications arising from these new forms of ownership of intangible assets. The book is grounded in the European potential regulatory framework of copyleft through movements like open-source software."
Ebook. 1 copy is available.
Excerpt from book description: Explores "the profound impact of American copyright law on our online lives. By telling stories about hope, art, greed, and fear and how they have affected the legal dimensions of creativity and technological change, this book uncovers the hidden forces shaping our digital world."
Digital treatise on U.S. copyright law available in Wolters-Kluwer's VitalLaw platform. In BLS Library's catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION - WOLTERS KLUWER.
Digital, detailed treatise on music licensing available in Wolters-Kluwer's VitalLaw platform. In BLS Library's catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION - WOLTERS KLUWER.
Ebook. 1 copy is available.
Excerpt from book description: [E]xamines the multifaceted dynamics between copyright law and music borrowing within a rich diversity of music genres from across the world."
1 print copy (call #: KF4291 .L34 2025) is on Reserve.
Excerpt from book description: "[I]s a compact guide to the legal issues that arise in all corners of the music industry, with particular emphasis on the decisions faced by songwriters and performing artists throughout their careers." Addresses "all relevant aspects of copyright law, such as authorship, termination rights, re-recording rights, infringement, and fair use."
Ebook. Multiple digital copies are available.
Excerpt from book description: "[I]nvestigates the eruption of NFT crypto art, and its impact on copyright law. Chapters address topics at the intersection between AI, smart contracts, data science, copyright law and arts administration. With snapshots of the ongoing heated debates around copyright law, the book investigates whether NFTs violate copyright and moral rights, the liability of NFTs platforms, [and] impacts on ethical issues such as counterfeiting."
Multi-volume digital treatise on copyright law available in Lexis+. Frequently cited source in court opinions. Lexis+ user name + password required.
BLS Library has preordered 1 print copy.
Excerpt from book description: Will be an updated edition of "the first major art historical survey on the most compelling, disruptive area of contemporary art." Examines "all facets of the NFT ecosystem" and "takes a multidimensional, artist-led approach to give a richer understanding of a topic often shrouded in pixelated mystery." Will provide "insight from the leading voices in art and the blockchain, including Hans Ulrich Obrist."
Ebook. 1 copy is available.
Excerpt from book description: "[P]rovides the first in-depth history of sound recording copyright."
Multi-volume digital treatise on U.S. copyright law available in Westlaw. Westlaw user name + password required
When searching BLS Library's SARA catalog for materials on copyright, suggested subjects to search are:
To expand a search to materials available in other libraries: WorldCat searches holdings of many research libraries throughout the world. WorldCat's Advanced Search form supports searching by keywords, subject, title, author and many other criteria.
Guide tab: Casebooks, Study Aids & Legal Encyclopedias highlights additional Brooklyn Law School Library sources on copyright law.