Authors and Owners

The notion of the author as the creator and therefore the first owner of a work is deeply rooted both in our economic system and in our concept of the individual. But this concept of authorship is modern. Mark Rose traces its formation in 18th-century Britain - and in the process highlights still current issues of intellectual property. "Authors and Owners" is at once a look at an important episode in legal history and a contribution to literary and cultural history.