Monday, October 8, 2012

The Spreading Menace of Copyright Infringement

Having a firm understanding about copyright law infringement is really essential to anyone currently exploring their creativity. This applies to a number of different fields that include music, videos and software programs. Where you live plays a large role in defining the specifics of copyright infringement laws applying to you, so properly identifying what jurisdiction, and knowing the laws in your area is also very important.

A good definition that accurately describes copyright infringement is, -Copyright infringement (or copyright violation) is the unauthorized use of material that is protected by intellectual property rights law particularly the copyright in a manner that violates one of the original copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. The slang term bootleg (derived from the use of the shank of a boot for the purposes of smuggling) is often used to describe illicitly copied material.-


Copyright infringement laws also include written works, articles, books, and poems. It is common for individuals to directly copy information out of sources like these, but technically they are violating copyright infringement laws. Usually there are no legal repercussions from small scale violations like this. However, if copy written information is used without the consent of the creator, especially for commercial purposes, then the violator is breaking the law and can be sued for large sums of money.

Although the law forbids the spread of pirate information, it is still very common for intellectual property, like software programs, to be shared through the internet. Many people have strong feeling against the legal acknowledgement of intellectual property, and feel that information should be shared freely. It is estimated that about 25% of the software available on the internet has been pirated. Real statistics on copyright infringement have been collected now for years, and can be found on the internet.

The true meaning of copyright infringement depends on where your jurisdictions statutes are. In the United States, the official copyright laws are specified in Title 17 of the United States Code, 501 - 513. If you are interested in copyright information on a global scale, then international organizations like the World Trade Organization and the European Union have their own definitions that explain what they feel copyright infringement is. However, all the different definitions come down to stealing the work of another for personal gain.

Peter Wendt is a writer and researcher with a background in law. He recommends readers visit somekeyword for more information on legal issues in business.

No comments:

Post a Comment