Democracy of Sound tells the story of the pirates, radicals, jazzbos, Deadheads, and DJs who challenged the record industry for control of recorded sound throughout the twentieth century. A political and cultural history, it shows how the primacy of intellectual property gradually eclipsed an American political tradition that was suspicious of monopolies and favored free competition.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Part One: The Birth and Growth of Piracy, 1877-1955
Ch. 1: Music, Machines, and Monopoly
Ch. 2: Collectors, Con Men, and the Struggle for Property Rights
Ch. 3: Piracy and the Rise of New Media
Part Two: The Legal Backlash, 1945-1998
Ch. 4: Counterculture, Popular Music, and the Bootleg Boom
Ch. 5: The Criminalization of Piracy
Ch. 6: Deadheads, Hip Hop, and the Possibility of Compromise
Ch. 7: The Global War on Piracy
Conclusion: Piracy as Social Media
Notes
Index