Who Owns Culture?: Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law

by Susan Scafidi

Book Overview

It is not uncommon for white suburban youths to perform rap music, for New York fashion designers to ransack the world's closets for inspiration, or for Euro-American authors to adopt the voice of a geisha or shaman. But who really owns these art forms? Is it the community in which they were originally generated, or the culture that has absorbed them?

While claims of authenticity or quality may prompt some consumers to seek cultural products...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813536065
• ISBN13: 9780813536064
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.3" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Good Question

This book thoughtfully explores the interesting issue of to what extent the law should protect cultural products and customs. Current intellectual property law is very much oriented towards the protection of rights of individual entities and largely ignores the creations that are attributable to the efforts of cultural groups. A good portion of the book examines various aspects of cultural life and the internal and external ramifications to individuals, communities, and societies. It then explores how cultural products might be protected depending on factors such as the unity of the cultural entity and the nature of the product. Moreover, the book explores culture from perspectives ranging from indigenous peoples to skateboarders and its ideas encompass both traditional and emerging cultures. If you are looking for a book that adds a new angle to the ongoing debate about the role of intellectual property protection within society, this would be a good one to read.