Thursday, January 14, 2010
Okay. After sitting in class last night and listening to all the great information on copyright, I can't help but wonder about the enforcement of it all. I searched for stats but they seem hard to find. Vague estimates show 25-30% of material on the internet has been infringed. But you can't tell me that 30% of the global users are policing for copyright. Unless you have a financial interest or can pay employees to search for copyright pirates, I doubt the average American or European thinks about or cares about this issue - until they get caught. If I find an online calander that someone from Africa made and then copied it at Kinkos for everyone in my small town in Kansas, how will the enforcement play out?
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Good point! I believe that the majority of people are not aware that they are infringing copyright. Or maybe they know, but feel that “everyone else is doing it … so it must be ok.” In addition to the legal aspect, there is an ethical component too. For example, professional engineering registrations (Canada & US) have a code of ethics that would discourage these activities. Copyright infringement may be low on the priority list, but could still lead to legal liability and disciplinary action.
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