Creativity Without Copyright: Anarchist Publishers and Their Approaches to Copyright Protection

Abstract

This paper offers an analysis of the intersection between anarchism and copyright law by drawing on interviews with publishers working for anarchist and radical presses operating in the United States. Given the ideological commitment of anarchists to a critique of property rights within a capitalist system, it can be hypothesized that anarchist publishers would be less likely to endorse a system of copyright than mainstream book publishers. However, anarchist publishers operate within a capitalist system and must theorize their use (or lack of use) of copyright within a framework unsuited for their ultimate goals. Ultimately, anarchist publishers offer an opportunity to investigate the theory and practice of anarchism as it is confronted by a capitalist system of property protection – copyright law.