Constitution Day 2020 and Copyrights

Today, September 17, is Constitution Day. Two hundred thirty-three years ago this day, the proposed Constitution of 1787 was signed by the Philadelphia Convention delegates assembled at Independence Hall. As Free State Foundation President Randolph May and I pointed out in our 2018 op-ed, "A Constitution Day Call to Strengthen Copyright Protection," the only express provision for individual rights contained in the Constitution of 1787 is the Article I, Section 8 Intellectual Property Clause – also known as the Copyrights Clause.  

FSF President Randolph May and I give a more detailed account of this in our book, The Constitutional Foundations of Intellectual Property: A Natural Rights Perspective. In the view of the American Founders, copyrights are rooted in individuals' natural rights to the fruits of their labors – in this case, their creative labors. And government exists to protect and enlarge rights to acquire, use, and transfer property, including property in creative works. 

We build on those principled themes and make a case for strengthening copyright protections today in our new book, Modernizing Copyright Law for the Digital Age: Constitutional Foundations for Reform. Today, it's fitting to remember that Congress's ongoing responsibility for securing copyrights is based on the high authority of U.S. Constitution. 

Modernizing Copyright Law for the Digital Age is available through Amazon (here) and through Carolina Academic Press (here).