Metaphors and Norms - Understanding Copyright Law in a Digital Society by Stefan Larsson

This chapter elaborates on the theoretical foundation of the book. This includes the origin and development of conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), the experiential and embodied aspects of concepts—a central theme in CMT—and the notion of conceptual transfer in terms of skeuomorphs—which are not a central theme of CMT. In order to display the importance for law and regulatory development, in its relationship to technological development, the terminology of path dependence is developed in this chapter as well. This is a way to emphasise normative linkages—in both design and concepts—over time. Lastly, in order to relate the cognitive and conceptual theory to law as well as to social norms, these concepts are outlined from a sociolegal basis of theory in sociology of law, and combined with CMT.