| As you're creating something, you may wonder what | | | | pirated in the United States of America. This means |
| copyright infringement actually is. It's necessary, if | | | | they think 30 percent of the software on your |
| you're creating a work -- albeit written, musical, | | | | computer is illegal. However, copyright holders have |
| videos, software or some other form -- that you | | | | good reason to worry that we're violating their rules: |
| know the definition of copyright infringement. This | | | | the number of suspects referred to the United |
| issue is very complicated, and not very easily spelled | | | | States attorneys with an intellectual property lead |
| out in plain English. Copyright infringement is defined | | | | increased twenty six percent in the period between |
| by the jurisdiction -- the United States of America | | | | 2002 and 2004 -- and this number is rising. Copyright |
| has different copyright laws than the United Kingdom, | | | | infringement statistics are difficult to come by, but it's |
| or Australia, or Russia, or even China. Because of this | | | | plain to see it's affecting every aspect of intellectual |
| fact, you should first, before anything else, check the | | | | copy. Copyright infringement statistics show a lot of |
| laws in your jurisdiction (country, city and province) | | | | violations in pirating software and music. Many |
| before using something that isn't in the public domain. | | | | unsuspecting people, from college students to |
| For our definition of copyright infringement, works in | | | | thirty-something professionals, download music on a |
| the public domain aren't copyrightable. Works that | | | | consistent basis, and often it's not downloaded legally. |
| aren't copyrightable include ideas, works that aren't | | | | Often times, someone will download a song off a |
| eligible (150 years-old documents, or older -- think | | | | MySpace or YouTube page, without giving thought |
| Beethoven and Frankenstein), data that isn't | | | | to who owns the copyright and if it's legal for them |
| categorized in a creative way (this could be a | | | | to have it. Copyright infringement statistics, brought |
| database, such as a phone book or other | | | | to us by the music recording industry, would have us |
| publicly-accessible data), or items that the owners | | | | believe that online infringement is seriously hurting the |
| have specified creative commons copyrights. As you | | | | recording industry. Statistics also show that many |
| can see, copyright law is rather complicated. | | | | people are downloading games off the Internet. With |
| Wikipedia.org gives us the definition of copyright | | | | the litany of games available to us -- from complete |
| infringement as: "Copyright infringement (or copyright | | | | alternate worlds such as World of Warcraft to the |
| violation) is the unauthorized use of material that is | | | | more mainstream "The Sims" series -- people are |
| protected by intellectual property rights law | | | | clamoring for PC games. They're fun, intelligent |
| particularly the copyright in a manner that violates | | | | games that play on a system everyone has -- a |
| one of the original copyright owner's exclusive rights, | | | | computer. Because of this, people are always looking |
| such as the right to reproduce or perform the | | | | for new games to play and download, and they may |
| copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that | | | | download a game without knowing that it's not |
| build upon it. The slang term bootleg (derived from | | | | "freeware" (as many Internet games are). In addition |
| the use of the shank of a boot for the purposes of | | | | to computer games, copyright infringement statistics |
| smuggling) is often used to describe illicitly copied | | | | also show that movies are downloaded in abundance |
| material." Our definition of copyright infringement | | | | on the Internet. Many peer to peer file distribution |
| includes the works of creative commons. Creative | | | | sites and programs (such as Kazaa) allow transferring |
| commons is an organization that allows for the | | | | of large files; plus they're easy to find online. Using a |
| copyright author to determine the uses available for | | | | tool provided by one of many suppliers, users can |
| people who want to use their works -- for such | | | | search for any item they like -- and, of course, the |
| items as for audio, images, video, text, educational | | | | system is abused and people download copyrighted |
| materials, and software. It allows for the copyright | | | | movies and entire DVDs instead of publicly available |
| owner to allow people to use their works for | | | | works. Copyright infringement also branches into |
| non-commercial, commercial, no derivatives, share | | | | written works, such as articles, books, poems, etc. |
| alike, or just by giving attribution. Creative Commons | | | | Many times, a student will copy a paragraph or two |
| is a license granted by the copyright holder, and can | | | | without realizing the implications of such copying. |
| be used in both online (electronic Internet) works and | | | | While they may think of it as "borrowing," if it's used |
| offline works. The real definition of copyright | | | | on a grander scale, the person could be opening |
| infringement comes from your jurisdictions statutes. | | | | themselves up to a large court fight, especially if it's |
| In the United States of America, our jurisdiction's | | | | used commercially. As you can see, copyright |
| copyright laws are contained in Title 17 of the United | | | | infringement statistics show us that many people use |
| States Code, §501 - §513. You can also find | | | | copyrighted works illegally. Do your best diligence |
| a definition of copyright infringement through such | | | | when using another's work -- and ask for permission |
| organizations such as the European Union or World | | | | every time you want to use something that you |
| Trade Organizations. Copyright Infringement Statistics | | | | haven't created. Chances are, if you just ask the |
| Copyright infringement statistics, by most standards, | | | | question up front you'll save yourself from becoming |
| are inflated. Most recent copyright infringement | | | | a copyright infringement statistic and save yourself |
| statistics cite that almost 30 percent of software is | | | | from a major lawsuit. |