The General Library
Piracy and the Politics of Minority Access
$175.99
- Paperback
248 pages
- Release Date
8 December 2026
Summary
A bold argument for piracy as a system of knowledge sharing, cultural preservation, and political resistance.
What if copying and sharing media, acts frequently labeled as “piracy,” were understood as part of a vast cultural infrastructure that sustains knowledge? The General Library dismantles the myth that piracy is theft, demonstrating how unauthorized modes of distribution and access can act as techniques for cultural preservation, political expression, and everyday resis…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780262057073 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0262057077 |
| Author: | Abigail De Kosnik |
| Publisher: | MIT Press Ltd |
| Imprint: | MIT Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 248 |
| Release Date: | 8 December 2026 |
| Weight: | 369g |
| Dimensions: | 152mm x 229mm |
| Series: | Distribution Matters |
Critics Review
ENDORSEMENTS
“Democracies need the kind of thinking that Abigail De Kosnik inspires. This spectacular book equips us with the critical tools we need to navigate the future of knowledge in an AI-driven world.”
—Safiya U. Noble, University of California, Los Angeles; author of Algorithms of Oppression
“This book eloquently captures the joy and euphoria of peer-to-peer file sharing, particularly among young minority users struggling to create a less monopolized, more fair media ecosystem. De Kosnik helps point the way toward the kinds of networks that we all deserve.”
—Lisa Nakamura, Gwendolyn Calvert Baker Collegiate Professor, University of Michigan; author of Digitizing Race
“Challenging orthodoxies around digital access and piracy, De Kosnik offers transformative ways to understand technological power and AI futures. This brilliant, ambitious, and original book is a must-read.”
—Lisa Parks, University of California, Santa Barbara; author of Rethinking Media Coverage
Abigail De Kosnik
Abigail De Kosnik is Associate Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Center for New Media and the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. She is the author of Rogue Archives (MIT Press) and a coeditor of #identity.
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