We are pleased to announce the publication of « James Bond et le droit », under the scientific direction of Yann Basire, Clotilde Biron and Jérôme Sujkowski with a Preface by Alexis Roux, journalist and host of “Réalisé sans trucage,” France’s first film podcast.
As an elusive hero created by Ian Fleming, James Bond has spanned the ages with the same cool elegance and British composure that no one can remain indifferent to. For more than 70 years, the most famous of Her Majesty’s secret agents has established himself as a familiar figure in our collective imagination.
However, behind the breakneck chases, Q’s gadgets, the iconic lines, and the unforgettable opening credits, one question arises for legal professionals: where does the law fit into all of this?
The world of James Bond cannot be reduced to mere action and spectacle. Film after film, it portrays the confrontation of an agent at the heart of the state apparatus with fundamental legal issues: legitimate violence, sovereignty, secrecy, liability, manipulation of information, technological innovations, and the boundaries between what is lawful and what is illegal. James Bond breaks the rules, circumvents them, improvises… but he also reveals, by contrast, the strength of the rules and the fragility of the balances they protect.
Beyond the screenplay, the saga itself has become a legal entity in its own right: as a comprehensive body of work, a brand, a media phenomenon, and cultural heritage, the universe created by Ian Fleming raises questions regarding intellectual property, communication, emerging technologies, content exploitation, and the portrayal of individuals. In other words, James Bond offers two distinct areas of analysis: the law within fiction and the law surrounding the work.
At the initiative of CEIPI and the law firm ALLY Avocats, a special conference was held on December 12, 2024, at the Grand Rex, an iconic venue in Parisian cinema, followed by a screening of Goldfinger to mark the 60th anniversary of the film’s release, providing an opportunity to examine the 007 saga through the lens of major legal disciplines.
This book serves as a continuation of that event.
Throughout the contributions, James Bond is examined from the perspectives of criminal law (Jane Peissel), patent law and technological innovation (Alain Cléry), civil liability and personal injury (Cathie Paumier), labor law (Stéphanie Le Cam), trademark law (Yann Basire), copyright law (Gautier Kaufman), and music (Yvan Diringer), not to mention contemporary issues related to commercial influence (Clotilde Biron), emerging technologies (Jérôme Sujkowski), and finally deepfakes and artificial intelligence (Nathalie Mercier).
Under the academic direction of Yann Basire, Professor at CEIPI, University of Strasbourg, and Clotilde Biron and Jérôme Sujkowski, partners at Ally Avocats, this book—featuring a foreword by Alexis Roux, film journalist (Réalisé sans trucage, France’s leading film podcast)— demonstrates, once again, following Friends et le droit (in the same series), that law and pop culture are not parallel universes, but fertile grounds for analysis.
Contributors to this book include: Yann Basire, Clotilde Biron, Alain Cléry, Yvan Diringer, Gautier Kaufman, Stéphanie Le Cam, Nathalie Mercier, Cathie Paumier, Jane Peissel, Alexis Roux, Jérôme Sujkowski
To obtain a copy, please contact our Publishing Manager : caroline.ertz[at]ceipi.edu
