Self-Help in the Digital Jungle

Kenneth W Dam

The Journal of Legal Studies, 1999, vol. 28, issue 2, 393-412

Abstract: Self-help systems, protecting electronic content from unauthorized copying, are controversial, especially with copyright scholars who see them as endangering the fair use defense permitting certain forms of socially useful copying. Self-help systems, by harnessing both technology and the institution of contract instead of relegating contract providers to legal actions to enforce intellectual property rights, promise to expand the amount and diversity of content while reducing transactions and search costs. These systems also further moral rights of attribution and integrity. Such systems can evolve to accommodate fair users (especially through industry-wide standards setting), deter unauthorized copying through unobserved victim precaution, and strengthen social norms against such copying. Copyright 1999 by the University of Chicago.

Date: 1999
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/468056 (application/pdf)
Access to the online full text or PDF requires a subscription.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucp:jlstud:v:28:y:1999:i:2:p:393-412

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in The Journal of Legal Studies from University of Chicago Press
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Journals Division ().