William W. Fisher
Encyclopedia
William "Terry" W. Fisher III is the WilmerHale Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Harvard Law School
and faculty director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. His primary research and teaching areas are intellectual property law and legal history
.
In his book Promises to Keep: Technology, Law and the Future of Entertainment (Stanford University Press 2004), Fisher proposes replacing much of copyright
and digital rights management
with a government-administered reward system. Under such a scheme, movies and songs would be legal to download. Authors and artists would receive compensation from the government based on how often their works were read, watched, or listened to. The system would be funded by taxes.
Fisher is one of the founders of Noank Media
, a private enterprise similar in many ways to the proposal of Promises to Keep. Noank licenses and distributes digital content by collecting blanket-license revenues from internet services providers
and distributing revenues to authors and artists based on the size of their audience.
Fisher was among the lawyers, along with his colleague John Palfrey
and the law firm of Jones Day, who represented Shepard Fairey
, pro bono, in his law suit against the Associated Press related to the iconic Hope poster.
An alumnus of Amherst College
, Fisher received a law degree and a Ph.D. in the history of American civilization from Harvard University
. He was a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall
.
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
and faculty director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. His primary research and teaching areas are intellectual property law and legal history
Legal history
Legal history or the history of law is the study of how law has evolved and why it changed. Legal history is closely connected to the development of civilizations and is set in the wider context of social history...
.
In his book Promises to Keep: Technology, Law and the Future of Entertainment (Stanford University Press 2004), Fisher proposes replacing much of copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
and digital rights management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
with a government-administered reward system. Under such a scheme, movies and songs would be legal to download. Authors and artists would receive compensation from the government based on how often their works were read, watched, or listened to. The system would be funded by taxes.
Fisher is one of the founders of Noank Media
Noank Media
Noank Media Inc. is a US corporation which provides access to audio, video, still image, and document files under a flat-rate licensing scheme....
, a private enterprise similar in many ways to the proposal of Promises to Keep. Noank licenses and distributes digital content by collecting blanket-license revenues from internet services providers
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
and distributing revenues to authors and artists based on the size of their audience.
Fisher was among the lawyers, along with his colleague John Palfrey
John Palfrey
John Palfrey is a faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, vice dean for library and information resources, and the Henry N. Ess III Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He led a reorganization of the Harvard Law School Library in 2009...
and the law firm of Jones Day, who represented Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey
Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His...
, pro bono, in his law suit against the Associated Press related to the iconic Hope poster.
An alumnus of Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
, Fisher received a law degree and a Ph.D. in the history of American civilization from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He was a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
.