Intellectual Property: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) 2nd ed. Edition

Siva Vaidhyanathan

Feb 2024 · Gildan Media · Narrated by Shawn K. Jain

About this audiobook

We all create intellectual property. We all use intellectual property. Intellectual property is the most pervasive yet least understood way we regulate expression. Despite its importance to so many aspects of the global economy and daily life, intellectual property policy remains a confusing and arcane subject. This engaging book clarifies both the basic terms and the major conflicts surrounding these fascinating areas of law, offering a layman's introduction to copyright, patents, trademarks, and other forms of knowledge falling under the purview of intellectual property rights. Using vivid examples, noted media expert Siva Vaidhyanathan illustrates the powers and limits of intellectual property, distilling with grace and wit the complex tangle of laws, policies, and values governing the dissemination of ideas, expressions, inventions, creativity, and data collection in the modern world. Through compelling case studies, including those of Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Sony, Amazon, and Google Books, Vaidhyanathan shows that the modern intellectual property systems reflect three centuries of changes in politics, economics, technologies, and social values. Although it emerged from a desire to foster creativity while simultaneously protecting it, intellectual property today has fundamentally shifted to a political dimension.

About the author

Siva Vaidhyanathan is the Robertson Professor of Media Studies and the director of the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia. A former professional journalist, he has published six books on technology, law, and society, including Antisocial Media and The Googlization of Everything.

Shawn K. Jain, a Harvard University/Moscow Art Theater School/A.R.T. Institute graduate, has TV credits for shows on Apple TV+, CBS, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Showtime, and Peacock. He has narrated audiobooks for Penguin Random House, Hachette, Bloomsbury, HarperCollins, Epic!, Blackstone, GraphicAudio, and HQN.