Chapter 1: Copyright in Context
This chapter provides a brief summary of the major principles of U.S. copyright law and their organization within the book. It also places the issues surrounding copyright law into theoretical, historical and international context. This is necessary to understanding the modern application of the copyright laws. The basic legal underpinnings of copyright have changed little since the eighteenth century, but new technologies are challenging that traditional framework. Furthermore, in an age of increasing globalization, it is imperative to understand how the United States' copyright law is situated within the larger system of international copyright controls.