Maurer School of Law: Indiana University Digital Repository @ Maurer Law Articles by Maurer Faculty Faculty Scholarship 1982 The Betamax Case: Another Compulsory License in Copyright Law Marshall A. Leaffer Indiana University Maurer School of Law,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub Part of the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons, and the Intellectual Property Law Commons Recommended Citation Leaffer, Marshall A., "The Betamax Case: Another Compulsory License in Copyright Law" (1982). Articles by Maurer Faculty. 942. https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub/942 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles by Maurer Faculty by an authorized administrator of Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. THE BETAMAX CASE: ANOTHER COMPULSORY LICENSE IN COPYRIGHT LAW Marshall A. Leaffer* I. INTRODUCTION T HE law of copyright has always been closely identified with new technology.1 In fact, copyright law traces its origins to fifteenth century new technology, the printing press, which for the first time enabled reproduction of a work in large quantities for cir- culation.2 With this invention, an author's ability to control the use of his work once it was published was thrown into jeopardy. From the Statute of Anne in 17108 through the Copyright Act of 1909," copyright legislation has been concerned with the protection of print media.5 It was not until the twentieth century and the development of the phonograph, radio, television, and other audiovisual recording techniques that the book publishing model of copyright law proved to be inadequate.