In a world of intellectual achievers whose creations are safeguarded by robust regimes of rights of exclusion, the public is collectively isolated from and deprived of recognition of its social and cultural contribution to the process of creating intellectual properties. In this Thesis, I argue that copyrighted entities represent authorial collectivity. I advocate the authorial role of the public in the process of copyright creation. This role has been largely ignored and taken for granted. I take the temerity to develop an argument suggesting a property right for the public in every copyrighted enterprise.;This Thesis is about copyright theory. In its 8 Chapters it presents a model of public authorship. The discussion is founded upon the argument that a copyright work is a joint enterprise of the public and the author. Every copyright work depends on and is reflective of the decisive authorial contribution the public makes to the formation of authorial and artistic materials. The author's exposure to and consumption of cultural and social elements is what makes the copyright creation successful. These elements are nurtured and stimulated by the public and constitute an integral part of the public's collective identity. Copyright works should therefore, not be regarded as exclusive private property. Since copyright works profit from significant public contribution, both public and authors should own them under a joint title.
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