Browse Issues Search Articles Submissions About the Journal Copyright Fixation Podcast Subscribe Go back to Issues THE COPYRIGHT TAX Citation: 68 J. COPYRIGHT SOC’Y, 117, (2020) Glynn S. Lunney Jr. Texas A&M University Introduction Words have power. The labels we attach to things influence how we think about those things. The words and label that dominate our copyright discourse intrinsically support the copyright system. Rights, property, protection, incentives — these are the labels that we use to describe copyright. All of them have generally positive connotations in our society. What if instead of these positive, reinforcing labels, we used a less sympathetic label and called copyright a tax? Would that change our views on copyright? This article explores that question. Full Article cpy_68-1 Copyright TaxDownload Related Content Event Jan 7 Copyright and Immersive Experiences: Navigating Registration Challenges at the U.S. Copyright Office Immersive media experiences blend technology, interactivity, and creative expression in ways that challenge traditional copyright registration practice. This panel will… Live CLE Credit Foundational Copyright Ideas Video Nov 12, 2025 Getting Your Arms Around the Public Domain: What to Know As Another Year's Worth of Content Becomes Available November 12 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET Getting ready to field public domain questions in the new year?… CLE Credit AI & Copyright Creativity & Technology Collide Foundational Copyright Ideas Video Oct 29, 2025 Software Copyright Registration Challenges: Making the Best of a Difficult Situation The panel will discuss the difficulties in obtaining enforceable copyright registrations for computer source code, including version identification, identification and… Foundational Copyright Ideas
