The IPKat has been purring over his pristine copy of Michael Flint’s classic book, A User’s Guide to Copyright. This title has been long established as one of the key texts in this field and the Kat recalls reviewing the first edition back in the 1980s, when he still had a full complement of whiskers. More to the point, this title has generally been the Kat's first port of call when investigating copyright topics he's not so familiar with.

This edition has been crafted by the triumvirate of Michael Flint, Nicholas Fitzpatrick and Clive Thorne. Michael Flint has been around since before the IPKat can remember: he's a former chairman of the Intellectual Property and Entertainment Committees of the International Bar Association and of the Council of the Intellectual Property Institute. Nick Fitzpatrick is a partner in DLA Piper Rudnick who specialises in media and copyright law (in his spare time he doubles as Chairman of the Copyright Committee of the British Screen Advisory Council. Veteran copyright commentator Clive Thorne (partner, Arnold and Porter), has over 30 years' experience of IP litigation and arbitration in the UK and in Asia.

The 6th, fully revised edition is split into two parts. Part 1 contains a detailed breakdown of the relevant UK legislation, of which there is rather a lot these days, while Part 2 takes a sectoral approach, applying this legislation to the main industries in which copyright material is commonly exploited. Coverage of new topics reflects the emergence of new means of digital exploitation, including P2P distribution. There is also a welcome increased emphasis on international copyright law. As in previous editions, the text is lucid and welcoming – both in respect of the law and with regard to the increasingly unfamiliar technological terrain across IP concepts are now sown. It's a pity that the statutes it explains have not made so user-friendly or intelligible.

Previous editions have been published by Butterworths, but the title is now in the hands of Tottel – a company that has taken over what must be hundreds of old Butterworths titles following the decision of LexisNexis Butterworths to pursue electronic rather than paper publication as its prime objective.

Review: IPKAT, April 2006