Compares the development of copyright in the United Kingdom and the United States in relation to writing, literary works and other forms of intellectual property, and computer programs to show how writing is a unifying principle for documents and computers. (68 references) (EAM)

Reviews the legislative history of Canadian copyright law, especially with respect to government documents. Briefly describes the British origins of Canadian copyright, the British North America Act (1867), and the Copyright Act of 1921, all of which serve as background to the current law. (111 references) (LAE)