Justice Stephen G. Breyer's "The Uneasy Case for Copyright": A 40th Anniversary Symposium

In 1970, Stephen G. Breyer, now an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, published the pioneering article "The Uneasy Case for Copyright." To commemorate the fortieth anniversary of "The Uneasy Case for Copyright," the George Washington Law Review, the Intellectual Property Law Program of the George Washington University Law School and the MIPLC hosted a symposium. Justice Breyer gave the keynote address, and distinguished legal academics and economists from the United States and abroad considered the legacy of the article and the current state of inquiry into the proper place of copyright and intellectual property law.

Within the framework of the symposium Professor Josef Drexl and Seth Ericsson presented on the topic of "The Music Industry and the Emergence of On-line Music Distribution Diversity: The Role of Copyright and Competition". They examined the digital revolution of music distribution and the business model innovation which has occurred as a result. Their talk highlighted the crucial role intermediaries and business models play in the delivery of a creative work to an audience. The proper function of copyright and competition in this new digital environment was also evaluated in this context.

The Drexl/ Ericsson paper as well as all other symposium papers will be published in an issue of the George Washington Law Review.

For more information on the symposium please visit Breyer Symposium at the website of the GW Law School.