Copyright in the networked world: orphaned copyrights

Purpose – This column aims to look at the results of the US Copyright Office's request for comments about orphan copyrights.Design/methodology/approach – It uses a form of Game Theory called the Prisoner's Dilemma Game to analyze the comments that are available on the Copyright Office web site.Findings – Some change seems likely, if only because the opponents of change may discover that they can gain more for themselves when they stop defending the interests of those who have abandoned their copyrights already.Practical implications – If some form of cooperation between intellectual property consumers and rights holders could be worked out for orphan copyrights, it might lead to further “tit‐for‐tat” reactions that help to address other copyright issues.Originality/value – Provides useful information on orphan copyrights.