The digital communication right

As markets for networked digital transmissions became increasingly lucrative, and as new technologies have been gradually substituting in for traditional mass-media channels such as radio and television, the copyright issues involved began to become pressing. Perhaps the most important milestone in the development of communication rights in recent years was the conclusion of the 1996 WIPO Treaties and the exclusive communication and “making-available” rights they introduced. This chapter discusses the shift from traditional broadcasting media and other forms of analog communications to...

As markets for networked digital transmissions became increasingly lucrative, and as new technologies have been gradually substituting in for traditional mass-media channels such as radio and television, the copyright issues involved began to become pressing. Perhaps the most important milestone in the development of communication rights in recent years was the conclusion of the 1996 WIPO Treaties and the exclusive communication and “making-available” rights they introduced. This chapter discusses the shift from traditional broadcasting media and other forms of analog communications to digital communication and the legal change it brought with it.