The section of this paper that relates to my thesis explains how copyright law has virtually relied on the gatekeeper system until recent years when the internet began to break it down.  It explains that gatekeepers “prevent evasion of the law by blocking the opportunity to buy an infringing product in the first place.”  Since it is almost impossible to enforce copyright law on every individual infringement, especially the small scale ones, gatekeepers become the necessary tool.  Publishers are one example of such gatekeepers. 

This relates strongly to my thesis by helping to explain the importance of gatekeepers. My thesis explores the role of publishers (publishers of plays, specifically) as gatekeepers.  This exploration would not be warranted without first explaining the importance, which is as an additional line of copyright enforcement.