"By Night She Fought for Fair Use":
Restoring the Integrity of Copyright Law,
One Comic-Book Reader at a Time
Bound By Law? By Keith Aoki, James Boyle, & Jennifer Jenkins. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Center for the Study of the Public Domain. 2006. Pp. 74. $5.95; available for free at http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/.
Students of copyright law quickly learn that the subject is counterintuitive. One of the first revelations of this is—somewhat alarmingly—the purpose of copyright itself. Contrary to popular belief, copyright is not just about protecting an artist’s creation, but sharing it. Simultaneously protecting a work and sharing it helps to fulfill the Constitution’s mandate that Congress “promote the Progress of Science . . . by securing for limited Times to Authors . . . the exclusive Right to their . . . Writings.” In other words, Congress is to promote learning and the advancement of our culture.