James Boyle
The author and narrator of the book, a law professor advocating for the public domain.
Core Belief
"A balance must be struck between intellectual property rights and the public domain to foster creativity, innovation, and free speech. Overly strong intellectual property laws stifle progress and limit access to culture and knowledge."
Worldview
Boyle views the world through the lens of intellectual property law, seeing it as a battleground between those who seek to enclose the 'commons of the mind' and those who fight to protect it. He believes that informed citizens are crucial to shaping a just and equitable information society.
Personality
Passionate, knowledgeable, and engaging, Boyle is driven by a desire to educate the public about intellectual property and its impact on society. He strives to be fair and present both sides of the argument, yet clearly favors protecting the public domain. He's also self-aware and humorous, acknowledging his biases and academic tendencies.
In Their Own Words
"Should you be able to tell the story of Gone With the Wind from a slave's point of view even if the author does not want you to?"
"The state will create a right to exclude others from the invention or the expression and confer it on the inventor or the author. The most familiar rights of this kind are copyrights and patents."
"We have to 'invent' the public domain before we can save it."
Discussions with James Boyle
Other Characters from The Public Domain: Enclosing the Commons of the Mind
Ready to talk with James Boyle?
Join a discussion or make James Boyle your personal mentor for advice anytime.