Playing Darts with a Rembrandt: Public and Private Rights in Cultural Treasures

by Joseph L. Sax

Book Overview

Some of the world's greatest treasures are hidden away and have not been seen publicly for decades, sometimes for centuries. Others have been destroyed. They are not stolen property. They are simply private property, and no matter their public significance, the public has no claims on them. A capricious owner of Leonardo da Vinci's notebook would be perfectly within his rights to throw it in the fireplace, as James Joyce's grandson did with letters...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0472110446
• ISBN13: 9780472110445
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful diversity of examples!

This is an engrossing read--it contains dozens of fascinating stories that show that copyright law is worth getting passionate about. Anyone who works in the museum or special collections field and needs to justify their work to the general public should read this book. It is a wonderful defense of the importance of institutions and public access to cultural treasures large and small.