Who Owns This Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs

Copyright now governs almost every form of cultural expression—from books and music to films, software, and even databases. Yet the system that was originally intended to reward creators has gradually evolved into one that often concentrates ownership in the hands of powerful corporations rather than artists themselves.
In this lively and wide-ranging history, David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu trace the development of copyright from antiquity to the digital age. They explore the legal battles, political struggles, philosophical debates, and economic interests that transformed ideas into property, showing how copyright expanded far beyond its original purpose.
Both humorous and deeply researched, Who Owns This Sentence? argues that understanding the history of copyright is essential to understanding today's creative economy. The authors make a compelling case that modern copyright has become a major engine of inequality—and invite readers to rethink what it should protect, whom it should benefit, and how it ought to function in the twenty-first century.