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Honor among thieves: how nineteenth century American pirate publishers simulated copyright protection

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  • Ryan Safner

    (Hood College)

Abstract

From 1790 to 1891, the United States prevented foreign authors from obtaining domestic copyright protection, implicitly subsidizing a domestic reprinting industry. With foreign works a “free” and unprotected resource, American publishers created a system of voluntary norms, known as “trade courtesy” to create and enforce pseudo-property rights in uncopyrighted foreign works, simulating the effects of legal copyright protection. This paper analyzes this system using the Bloomington School’s institutional design principles to understand its effectiveness and pitfalls in managing the commons of unprotected foreign works in nineteenth Century America.

Suggested Citation

  • Ryan Safner, 2023. "Honor among thieves: how nineteenth century American pirate publishers simulated copyright protection," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 119-141, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ecogov:v:24:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s10101-023-00289-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10101-023-00289-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Cuntz & Carsten Fink & Hansueli Stamm, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property : An Economic Perspective," WIPO Economic Research Working Papers 77, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Copyright; Intellectual property; Literary piracy; Publishing; Economic history; Commons;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • K29 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Other
    • N40 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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