This is a fascinating and innovative book which explores the ways marginalised peoples are able to challenge and 'resist' the negative impact of the global economy through creativity and technical innovation. It poses the question, 'What possibilities for agency exist in the age of corporate globalisation?' using the work of Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt as a point of entry, Adam Haupt delves into varied terrain to locate answers in this ground-breaking inquiry. He explores arguments about copyright via peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms such as Napster, free speech struggles, debates about access to information and open content licences, and develops a politically incisive analysis of counter discourses produced by South African hip-hop artists. Stealing Empire is vital reading for law, media and cultural studies scholars who want to make sense of the ways in which legal and communication strategies are employed to secure hegemony.