Copyright as Personal Property

Copyright statutes in many jurisdictions clearly state that copyright is a property right. However, it's not always clear exactly how. Some see it as no more than a statutory right, while others think of it as a chose in action, like debts or shares. Copyright as Personal Property demonstrates why it is incorrect to conceptualize copyright as a chose in action and argues that, despite being an intangible asset, copyright is more analogous to land and chattels.

This book aims to achieve two main objectives. The first is to demonstrate much against popular belief that the analogies with land and chattels help contain the scope of copyright within normatively justifiable limits. Starting with the "thing-relatedness" of copyright, the monograph draws parallels with the acquisition of copyright, the nature of exclusionary rights, exclusive powers and privileges, their enforcement, and derivative interests. It employs concepts of property theory, such as numerus clausus, to provide the necessary benchmark to guide the boundaries of copyright. The second objective is to challenge the rigid and binary classification of property rights into choses in possession and choses in action. By addressing an important evolutionary gap in the conceptualization of property rights, this work lays the groundwork for a more sophisticated taxonomy, viewing property rights as existing on a spectrum. It goes on to provide the metrics to calibrate this spectrum, ensuring the incremental and orderly development of property rights.

Original and thought-provoking, the analogy this book develops with land and chattels shows how the unjustifiable expansion of copyright can be curbed and offers a more sophisticated classification of property rights than that based simply on tangibility.

Contents:

1: Setting the Stage

2: Thing-Relatedness in Copyright

3: Acquisition of Copyright

4: Exclusionary Rights, Exclusive Powers, and Privileges in Copyright

5: Copyright Enforcement and Remedies

6: Defences and Limits on Uses

7: Derivative Interests in Copyright

Final Remarks

Why buy this book?

This book challenges traditional views of copyright, offering an innovative analogy with land and chattels to redefine property rights. Essential for academics, lawyers, and institutions seeking a deeper understanding of intellectual property law.

Q&A

Who wrote this book?
Poorna Mysoor.

Who is the publisher?
Oxford University Press (July 2025).

What format is available?
Hardback.

Who is this book for?
Law students, legal scholars, intellectual property lawyers, judges, and university or research libraries building an IP law collection.

Where can I buy Copyright as Personal Property?
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