Peter S. Decherney

“Hollywood’s Copyright Wars” historicizes the heated debates over copyright and digital media. It addresses antipiracy campaigns, filmmakers’ rights, the legal environment for new technologies, and other areas in which copyright law has shaped Hollywood. It places these issues within the larger context of the development of the Hollywood film industry, US politics, and intellectual property law. In contrast to legal scholars who touch on some of the same issues, this project demonstrates how Hollywood responded to many of its intellectual property skirmishes through self-regulation. Rather than submit to Congress or judges and juries, Hollywood leaders have brought “in house” the regulation of originality, credit, and compensation.