"Who Owns This Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs" by David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu is a labyrinthine history of intellectual property rights. Delving deep into the origins of copyright from eighteenth-century London to its pervasive influence in the digital age, Bellos and Montagu unravel a history filled with intrigue and humor. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, they shed light on the various forces—high ideals, economic interests, or technological innovations—that have driven the expansion and consolidation of copyright over the centuries. Ultimately, they make a compelling case for reimagining copyright as a force for greater social justice and creative freedom.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

As the authors show, the history of copyright is one of growth and mutation. Changing objectives, shifts in power and new technologies have all played a part in restriction of the use of Intellectual Property, which Bellos and Montagu contend now not only throttles creativity, but primarily serves to enrich large corporations. There are many fascinating examples of how rulings were attained and how convoluted it has become. The principal of fair use is especially interesting because as it stands there is no means to state what is fair and what isn’t. This affects more areas than you might think. The entertainment industry has also waged a campaign to make people fearful of infringing on copyrighted material. (I have listened to more than one conversation of a woman fretting about posting a picture of a baby quilt on social media because the fabric has copyrighted images.) The authors admit that, although there are alternatives, at this time they don’t assure payment.
The book is dense with information and illustrates why there will always be work for lawyers.

Who do you think copyright laws protect? If you think it's the poor struggling artists, David Bellos is out to change your mind.
This was a more technical and detailed book than I was expecting. It won't be to everyone's taste, but if this topic interests you at all, I think you'll enjoy it. It was enlightening and I certainly will look at the subject differently. I enjoyed the last part of the book, with modern examples, more than the history of copyright with which it began.
Here are some of the things I learned: Most copyrights don't belong to the creators, but to the entertainment industry corporations that purchased them or employed the artists who created them; since the US passed its strictest copyright law in 1976, authors' incomes have been falling; it's really true that copyright collection societies try to collect fees from anyone singing "Happy Birthday to you" in a movie or TV show AND even from girl scouts singing "God Bless America" at an event, because these copyrights can be extended for decades past the death of the author!; these laws are very subjective and difficult to interpret; and, last, I now have a basic understanding of what "creative commons" licenses are.
Would we all be better off if copyrights were eliminated or drastically reduced? Maybe??? I'm not one of those people who think all corporations are evil and don't deserve to make a profit, but some of this did seem ridiculous. I still have some thinking to do.

The strange and iniquitous history of copyright is explored in this book. The current system was derived from a multitude of decisions that have resulted in corporations largely owning swaths of intellectual property at the detriment of everyone else. The history in this book is detailed but not overwhelmingly so. The authors suggest a few changes to make the system work for more people. This isn't an area in which I knew a great deal, but I learned from this book.

A fascinating discussion of the history and current state of copyright. I learned so much from reading this book. Particular impressive is that the information is presented in a way that never becomes boring or read like a wiki/encyclo-pedia entry, which is often the downfall for me when reading this type of book. I have shared information from this book and suggested it to many fellow readers.

This book is a history of the development of intellectual property and copyright. It is not a guide on how to apply those rules to current situations. If you like history or want to better understand the underpinnings of copyright, and you aren't a lawyer looking for lawyer-level treatment, this book is a well-written, interesting exploration. I keep stopping peers in the library where I work and telling them interesting tidbits from the book. They all seem fascinated and want to know what I'm reading. I'm recommending this to many in casual conversations already.

Thank you NetGallery, authors David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu and publisher for allowing me to read this arc ebook of “Who Owns This Sentence”
A brilliant work of historic scholarship and analysis of every single decision and opinion regarding copyright. From Ancient Greece and Rome, tenth century Europe thru 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st century international rules, laws, debates, developments and opinions this book is truly both a fabulous reference and a thoroughly engaging story of protection that even goes beyond creative works. Most interesting of all is how the authors put forth the most convincing arguments regarding the benefits and missteps of “supposed protection” and how, in modern times, giant corporations enjoy incredible profits at the public’s expense. The world-view together with the historic view make for a perspective that serves anyone interested in ownership of works.

Bellos unravels the history and evolution of copyright. With a keen eye for detail and a touch of humor, he delves into the complex realm of intellectual property and how it now extends into nearly every facet of our daily existence.

This book provides a comprehensive perspective on how copyright has transformed over the years, from its humble beginnings in eighteenth-century London to its current role in monetizing nearly every form of human creativity. Bellos astutely highlights the impact of copyright on our world today, from battles over AI-generated content to the ownership of even the most mundane items. He weaves together the high ideals, opportunism, and often baffling rationales that have shaped the copyright landscape, making a compelling case for copyright as a driver of inequality in the modern era. He firmly believes that copyright should not exist.

This captivating narrative is not just a historical account, but an exploration of an idea that affects us all. It will leave readers with a deep understanding of the intricate web of copyright and its implications. To sum it up, Who Owns This Sentence is a must-read for anyone interested in the cultural, legal, and global aspects of copyright.

Thank you to the publisher WW Norton and #netgalley for the ARC.

Who Owns This Sentence? is a book by David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu about the history of copyright and why it is wrong. While the main focus of the book is on book copyright, it does dedicate some chapters to other things such as paintings and music.
I found this book surprisingly easy to understand. While it is largely about laws and rights and such, it is written in such a way that it is not confusing, and I found it easy to follow along. I also liked that it does not just talk about one country, it covers most of Europe and the U.S.A. While the book has an agenda, to show why copyright should not exist, the book does show both sides of the argument instead of only the bad parts, which allows the reader to make up their own mind.
However, this book was not perfect. It can be difficult at times to remember all the different statutes and changes throughout history, I wish it was clearer. I also feel like many of the chapters were not super connected to the previous chapters, only loosely based on chronology.
In conclusion, I liked this book and found it quite interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone curious about the history of copyright who is a beginner to the field of law.

Interesting stories and information. Its a good little reference book that gave a new perspective.. Thanks for the early preview.