From “Content Carrier” to “Cultural Commodity”: A Study on the Institutional Lag in Publishing Copyright Governance under the Rise of Special Edition Books

Abstract

In recent years, with the transformation of the publishing market and the upgrading of reader consumption, publishing forms such as special edition books and hardcover books, characterized by binding design and limited-edition attributes as their core selling points, have rapidly emerged, driving books from mere“content carriers”toward cultural commodities with both aesthetic and collectible value. However, the current copyright system has long been centered on textual content, and its definition of rights related to binding design and re-creative practices remains relatively lagging, resulting in issues such as ambiguous rights ownership and the absence of effective governance mechanisms. This paper analyzes phenomena such as secondary binding, imbalanced rights distribution, and“quasi-piracy,”explores the new challenges posed by the rise of special edition books to traditional copyright governance, and proposes governance approaches centered on rights reconfirmation, contractual refinement, and industry self-regulation.