In the previous section, we’ve plugged into basic copyright (a full module in copyright law in law school could take months!), and we’re now ready to discuss our subject matter. The digital revolution has allowed the swift copying of content that can additionally be done without damage to the content. This, together with the increase in digital content (how many cassette tapes do you still see around lately?), has occasioned an exponential growth in digital copyright infringement over the years. This section will zoom in on music, movies, software and television programmes, and DCI’s relation to them.
Copyright Infringement of Software
If you liken computers to human bodies, then software must be to computers as souls are to human bodies. Indeed, software, from Internet browsers to financial planners to games (our personal favourites), powers the computer and breathes life into it. Software also happens to be one of the classic digital products that is affected by DCI, as you’ll see in this section.
Copyright Infringement of Music
“Ahh… music, a magic far beyond all we do here,” so commented Albus Dumbledore in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Music enchants the human mind; no surprise, then, that the digital revolution has made music one of the media most affected by DCI.
Copyright Infringement of Film
Film has thrived as a keystone in human civilisation since the 1900s. Will the industry survive the rampant copyright infringement in the twenty-first century? Get a clue as we delve deeper into the modes and extent of the copyright infringement of film.
Copyright Infringement of Television Programmes
First, it was the big screen; now, even shows from the small screen—programmes like 24 and The OC—are falling prey to viewers’ copyright infringement. And you thought copyright infringement wouldn’t affect something usually available free.
Reasons behind Digital Copyright Infringement
What drives people to infringe upon the copyright of others? Are there factors which facilitate DCI for us inhabitants of the twenty-first century? Find out more from this section.
Quiz
Four more questions to consolidate your understanding of this topic!
