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