Defending the Noble Arts

P.T. Barnum once said that "the noblest art is that of making people happy."

Defending the Noble Arts is all about protecting what makes people happy. To that end, it draws the connection between the beliefs of two historic creators: Barnum and Thomas Jefferson's declaration that the pursuit of happiness is an unalienable right. The title proposes that the creation of all forms of noble art historically deserve protection under this connection. Using the example of Walt Disney throughout as the exemplar of both a highly influential creator and a successive licensing conglomerate, the publication lays out a foundation of philosophical principles, legal rules and techniques to establish, protect and license the ideas that ultimately turn into entertainment properties, or the inalienable pursuit of happiness: songs, movies, books, characters and celebrity personas.