Private Ordering in the Shadow of Copyright Law: Google Books as a Blueprint

Politische Vierteljahresschrift (Special Issue on Politik und die Regulierung von Information), Sonderheft 46, 2012, pp 248-272

24 Pages Posted: 28 Jul 2011 Last revised: 15 Nov 2013

See all articles by Jeanette Hofmann

Jeanette Hofmann

Social Science Research Centre Berlin; Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society; Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society

Date Written: July 28, 2011

Abstract

The information economy is undergoing a period of fundamental change. These changes concern the ways information goods are owned and traded, and how they are regulated through public and private rules. Prompted by the predominantly juristic discussion on the copyright regime in the information age, this article offers a regulatory perspective on the evolving governance arrangements that shape the market for cultural goods.

Google Books, the unsuccessful but very well documented attempt to re-utilize the vast amount of out-of-print works, serves as an example to illuminate the ongoing transformation of information governance. Embedded in an evolving mode of industry self-regulation, a whole new set of information assets is emerging that implies close monitoring of users and communication practices in order to unfold its economic potential. As the case of Google Books also shows, the contract-based regime involves a redistribution of the rights that used to structure the market for cultural goods.

Suggested Citation

Hofmann, Jeanette, Private Ordering in the Shadow of Copyright Law: Google Books as a Blueprint (July 28, 2011). Politische Vierteljahresschrift (Special Issue on Politik und die Regulierung von Information), Sonderheft 46, 2012, pp 248-272, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1898120

Jeanette Hofmann (Contact Author)

Social Science Research Centre Berlin ( email )

Berlin, 10785
Germany

Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society ( email )

Bebelplatz 1 | 10099
Berlin
Germany

Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society ( email )

Berlin
Germany

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