Exploring Fair Use And Fair Dealing Around The Globe

We've seen some pushback against fair use/fair dealing over the years -- especially by copyright maximalists who like to pretend that such public rights as codified as fair use and fair dealing somehow violate international treaties. That's ridiculous. Jonathan Band and Jonathan Gerafi have put together a fantastic handbook detailing every fair use and fair dealing law they could find around the globe. The end result? Over 40 countries, covering more than one-third of the world's population, have these laws as a part of their copyright laws. That doesn't mean that all of them are well written or as strong and protective of the rights of the public as they could be. However, as Band notes, this suggests that "there is no basis for preventing the more widespread adoption of these doctrines, with the benefits their flexibility brings to authors, publishers, consumers, technology companies, libraries, museums, educational institutions, and governments." Permalink | Comments | Email This Story