Copyright is one of the cornerstones of western civilization; it is as relevant today, if not more so, than it was when the first formal copyright laws were enacted in the eighteenth century. This is something that seems to have been forgotten -- at the political level, where one federal government weakened Canada's copyright legislation to the point of falling out-of-line with other western democracies, and the subsequent government has failed to address the issue.

With the rise of the Digital Age, new challenges have been brought to the frontlines of the copyright battle. Online piracy, extensive unauthorized use of copyrighted works by educational institutions, and artificial intelligence have tested the ability of copyright laws to protect creators and their intellectual property.

Canada's copyright laws need to be rewritten so that they are resilient and adaptive in promoting the production of new work and ideas that benefit society.

In Defence of Copyright explores the nature of unauthorized use and piracy and reviews some of the new challenges for copyright in the Digital Age. This must-read, general introduction is a guide to the essentials of copyright and its history.