A Justificatory Toolbox : Constructing a Modern Approach to Justifying Copyright Law

Developments in digital technology and the way that copyright content is being consumed has forced copyright law to evolve. However, the justifications underlying copyright frameworks have remained rooted in the traditional ideologies of Lockean Labour Theory, Hegelian Personality Theory and Utilitarianism. These singular, traditional approaches to justifying copyright law are no longer suitable especially since the debate about intellectual property as a justified form of property is now moot. Consequently, this article proposes that a pluralist toolbox of justifications be adopted to account for the wide range of competing considerations that are present in modern copyright frameworks