Policy Observatory
How should we describe copyright?
During my last trainee presentation, as I was covering the copyright portion, at some point I described copyright as a unique type of “exclusive” right. “Not so”, intervened one of the trainees. “I had a course on the subject, and we were taught that copyright is a monopoly right.” While I deflected the issue (“let’s talk about it after the presentation”—which we did), the comment got me to thinking once again: how should we be describing copyright; indeed, should be seeking to describe it at all in such a fashion?
Country: Global
Domains: IPR
Stakeholder: Civil Society