The Right to Published Editions: Historical Lessons to Be Learned

The right to published edition was introduced in Australian copyright law in 1968 and in 2018 it is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Despite its relatively long history, there is very little, if any, information or commentary on this right. The article provides a socio-legal historical analysis of the origin, evolution and effectiveness of this right in Australia and identifies lessons that could be learned from the history of this right, in particular in the context of the current European discussion on a proposed new right to press publishers.