A detailed historical look at how copyright was negotiated and protected by authors, publishers, and the state in late imperial and modern China In Pirates and Publishers, Fei-Hsien Wang reveals the unknown social and cultural history of copyright in China from the 1890s through the 1950s, a time of profound sociopolitical changes. Wang draws on a vast range of previously underutilized archival sources to show how copyright was received, appropriated, and practiced in China, within and beyond the legal institutions of the state. Contrary to common belief, copyright was not a problematic doctrine simply imposed on China by foreign powers with little regard for Chinese cultural and social traditions. Shifting the focus from the state legislation of copyright to the daily, on-the-ground negotiations among Chinese authors, publishers, and state agents, Wang presents a more dynamic, nuanced picture of the encounter between Chinese and foreign ideas and customs. Developing multiple ways for articulating their understanding of copyright, Chinese authors, booksellers, and publishers played a crucial role in its growth and eventual institutionalization in China. These individuals enforced what they viewed as copyright to justify their profit, protect their books, and crack down on piracy in a changing knowledge economy. As China transitioned from a late imperial system to a modern state, booksellers and publishers created and maintained their own economic rules and regulations when faced with the absence of an effective legal framework. Exploring how copyright was transplanted, adopted, and practiced, Pirates and Publishers demonstrates the pivotal roles of those who produce and circulate knowledge.

When we think of pirates we conjure up images of Blackbeard and Captain Kidd, or even fictional pirates such as Long John Silver, Captain Hook and Captain Jack Sparrow. These historical characters all hailed from one period. Known as "The Golden Age of Piracy", this period only lasted around a quarter of a century - from around 1700 until 1725. However, piracy has been around a lot longer than that. In fact ever since people started venturing onto the sea, others were waiting to waylay them. Pirate expert Angus Konstam sails through the brutal history of piracy, from the pirates who plagued the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to the Viking raids on northern Europe through the golden age of piracy and on to the era of privateers who flourished during a period of constant warring on the European continent. He then examines the West's initial encounters with Eastern pirates off the Chinese coast whose confederations had sprung up in the 17th century and whose actions were severely hampering the West by the 19th century. Finally Konstam examines the phenomenon of the modern pirate, preying on modern super tankers. The reality of piracy is that it is a vicious, often deadly business. By separating the realities of piracy from the Hollywood-inspired fiction, and by tracing the development of piracy through the centuries, this book gives a realistic vision of what piracy actually involves. The book includes approximately 100 color and black & white images, eight maps, a glossary of sea terms, notes on sources and a bibliography. Contents Chapter 1: Piracy in the Ancient World; Chapter 2: Medieval Pirates; Chapter 3: The Sea Dogs of the Renaissance; Chapter 4: Mediterranean Corsairs; Chapter 5: The Buccaneers of the Caribbean; Chapter 6: The Golden Age of Piracy; Chapter 7: The Pirate Round; Chapter 8: The Last of the Pirates; Chapter 9 The Chinese Pirates; Chapter 10: Modern Pirates; Chapter 11: Pirates in Fiction; Conclusion

"Tells the story of how the clashes between authors, publishers, and literary "pirates" influenced both American copyright law and literature itself."--Dust jacket flap

The international battle against Internet pirates has been heating up. Increasingly law enforcement is paying attention to book piracy as ebook publishing gains an ever-larger market share. With this threat to their health and even survival, publishers and authors must act much like the music, film, and software giants that have waged war against pirates for the past two decades. Now, The Battle against Internet Piracy opens a discussion on what happens to the victims of piracy. Drawing from a large number of interviews—from writers, self-publishers, mainstream publishers, researchers, students, admitted pirates, free speech advocates, attorneys, and local and international law enforcement officials—the text speaks to such issues as: •Why pirates have acted and how they feel about it •The conflict over constitutional rights and piracy •The current laws surrounding Internet piracy •Examples of cases taken against some pirates •Alternatives to piracy •Personal experiences of being ripped off •The ways piracy affects different industries and how they’ve responded Author Gini Graham Scott prepares readers to arm themselves against these modern perils by learning about copyright, infringement, and how to prevent, combat, and end book piracy. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

This book does not pretend to be a history of piracy, but is simply an attempt to gather, the particulars of pirates and buccaneers whose names have been handed down to us.

THE BATTLE AGAINST INTERNET BOOK PIRACY provides an overview of the piracy crime threatening the livelihood of professional writers and the survival of many publishers, since millions of books have been stolen and made available as ebooks or PDFs for free or payments to the pirates. The cost to individual writers and the book industry has been in the billions of dollars. This book features 26 chapters which describe: - The extent and cost of the problem - What writers and publishers can learn from the music and film industry battles - What some publishers are doing to take the pirates to court - How to find out who the pirates are - The weapons in the arsenal to fight pirates - What the FBI and other government agencies are doing to stop the pirates - How to get the pirates to remove your book from their websites - The steps writers and publishers can take now to protect their material from pirates - And more. In addition, a final section lists resources and major pirate sites, so writers can check if their own books have been illegally posted and report violations to other writers, publishers, and law enforcement.