By Hector Lo, Madison Kang, Jongyoon Han, and Nick
Eminizer
Introduction
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Copyright infringement is when someone other
than the copyright owner copies the
“expression” of a work without the owner’s
permission
Copyright infringement can occur without even
directly copying. Occurs if the infringing work
is “substantially similar.”
5 rights for copyright holder:
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The Right to Reproduce the Work
The Right to Derivative Works
The Right to Distribution
The Right to Public Display
The Right to Public Performance
Background Information
Copyright infringement (or copyright
violation) is the unauthorized use of
material that is protected by intellectual
property rights law
 Infringement includes the unauthorized
or unlicensed copying of a work subject
to copyright
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Broader Definition
Copyright infringement includes the
works of creative commons
 Creative commons is an organization
that allows for the copyright author to
determine the uses available for people
who want to use their works.
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How Copyright Infringement is
Being Dealt With
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Copyright Law
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Litigation
Copyright Law
Copyright exists until 70 years after the
death of the last author
 After that period, the work becomes a
part of the “public domain”
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 This means anyone can download, publish,
use, or sell the piece.
Litigation
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Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
 Sued people who shared songs
 Those who settle the suit face charges of around $3,000,
those who don’t settle can face stiffer penalties
 US copyright laws allow fines up to $150,000 per
copyrighted work
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They’re also looking into suing file-sharing sites
 Kazza was sued for damages against the recording
industry and settled for $100 million
 They no longer provide free file-sharing services
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Recently, though, the music industry has been
pursuing a different strategy
 They’ve stopped prosecuting individuals as frequently
 Instead, they’re cooperating with internet service providers
to stop infringement before it starts.
Our Opinion on the Issue
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Copyright infringement is undoubtedly an important issue.
Everyone has the right to own their ideas and creations
and they have the right to reap the benefits of the
distribution of those ideas.
Even so, though, it’s simply not possible to prosecute
everyone who violates copyright law on the small scale.
We think it’s best to bring litigation against the largest
violations of copyright law that result in the worst losses
We also like the recent shift away from prosecuting the
individual to trying to stop the problem at its source.
Hopefully by shifting focus on to the big picture, it can
remain clear that the recording and other industries that
own intellectual property are serious about keeping
infringement in the public eye, while they’re not wasting
time with small cases. It’s more important to attack the
root of the problem.
Bibliography
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http://www.clickandcopyright.com/copyrightinfringement.aspx
http://www.pcworld.com/article/112364/music_labels
_declare_war_on_file_swappers.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5220406.stm
http://www.pdinfo.com/copyrt.php
http://chronicle.com/article/Music-Industry-Will-StopMa/42156/
Scott, Brian. "Definition of Copyright Infringement."
http://www.researchcopyright.com/article-definitionof-copyright-infringement.php