Jon Pfeiffer is an experienced entertainment and copyright trial attorney practicing in Santa Monica. Jon is also an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California where he teaches Media Law. COM 570 covers First Amendment issues as well as copyright, defamation and privacy.  

How did early authors and printers share and profit from their work without it being stolen? Where does copyright law come from?

The first noteworthy dispute concerning protection of a creative work occurred around 560 A.D. in Ireland when Saint Columbia “borrowed” a valuable Latin Psalter belonging to Saint Finnian and made a copy. When Finnian found out, he demanded that Columbia return the copy. Columba refused and Finnian took his complaint to the King of Ireland. Columbia consented to having the dispute settled by the King because…

Jon Pfeiffer is an experienced entertainment and copyright trial attorney practicing in Santa Monica. Jon is also an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California where he teaches Media Law. COM 570 covers First Amendment issues as well as copyright, defamation and privacy.