Against Literary Property: Arthur Murphy and the Copyright Metaphor in Eighteenth-Century England

Abstract

Abstract: This essay reexamines the framing of copyright as "literary property" in eighteenth-century England through the figure of Arthur Murphy, one of the period's most successful playwrights, who was also legal counsel in two of the century's major copyright cases. Through analysis of Murphy's legal manuscripts alongside his literary works and theatrical career, I argue that Murphy fought against literalizing the property metaphor. By doing so, he aimed to protect the creative rights of authors and the good of the public.