Book Reviews

Since there has never been an era in which as much aggregate contemplation has been expended on the problems involved in the protection of literary property, Professor Patterson\u27s book is both timely and important. The issues involved are being widely debated and discussed, but unfortunately much of the current discussion appears to be proceeding more from emotion, oratory, and vested concern than from detached and dispassionate logic. For this reason especially, the scholarly, sound history in Professor Patterson\u27s new monograph is certain to be welcome, as it cuts through four centuries of continuing obfuscation and confusion and clarifies considerably the very rudiments of the concept-or more properly concepts -of copyright