In today's class, I learned that the federal government seeks to vigorously protect and enforce copyright laws. An individual who has engaged in copyright infringement involving more than ten copies and material valued at over $2500 has committed a felony. While I knew their was a punishment for violating copyright laws, I did not have a grasp of the seriousness by which the federal government addressed these matters. The severity of this punishment scheme is made worse by the RIAA's vigorous prosecution of potential violators.
The central advantage of this punishment scheme is that potential violators will be deterred from infringing on copyright laws in the future. Repeat offenders will find that the costs of failing to abide by copyright laws exceed the benefits of passing another's work off as their own. As word of the severe punishments spread, the number of copyright infringements will decrease.
The central advantage of this punishment scheme is that potential violators will be deterred from infringing on copyright laws in the future. Repeat offenders will find that the costs of failing to abide by copyright laws exceed the benefits of passing another's work off as their own. As word of the severe punishments spread, the number of copyright infringements will decrease.
The disadvantage of making copyright infringement a felony is that talented and intelligent people could be disqualified from certain opportunities for committing a single violation. Third parties (i.e, employers, graduate schools) will be curious as to why an individual's record contains a felony and could potentially pass-over a well-qualified candidate for violating a single copyright law. Another disadvantaged of this punishment scheme is that the court system could force violators to pay excessive damage awards in court. Juries sympathetic to the plight of record companies that have lost millions of dollars due to the illegal distribution of music files may impose exorbitant fines on violators. Individuals lacking the capacity to make good on such claims may go bankrupt or experience undue financial strain.
My personal position on this issue is that scrict punishments are necessary to ensure that copyright laws are respected and upheld. Although there are some disadvantages to this position (as noted above), I believe that the benefits outweigh the costs. I found an interesting article in the New York Times about copyrighting photographs here.
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