Copyright is legal protection for original artistic or intellectual property. It varies from country to country, but is designed to protect an author’s right to profit from their work. In the US, copyright automatically exists on creation, but registration is recommended. Punishments for infringement vary, and examples include downloading music illegally. The Berne Convention provides international copyright protection.
A copyright is legal protection for original artistic or intellectual property, including literature, dramatic productions, art, software, web design, music, and other artistic endeavors. These laws vary from country to country, but are designed to protect an author’s right to profit from his or her efforts. Copyright infringement, also known as copyright infringement, occurs when someone uses, displays, distributes, sells, performs, or reproduces a copyrighted work without the owner’s permission.
In the United States, it is not necessary for a person to actually register their work to obtain a copyright. Under the law, copyright automatically exists on the creation of any literary or artistic work. Publishers, as well as many independent authors or artists, often choose to register their copyrights with the US Copyright Office in order to establish a public record of their ownership. If a person has to take legal action against someone for copyright infringement, her case is much easier to prove if he has a registered copyright.
Copyrights established in the United States before 1978 lasted for a limited number of years, and the owner had to apply for an extension to keep the exclusive rights to his or her work. After 1978 the law was changed to extend the term of a copyright to 70 years after the death of the author or creator. Different nations may have unique copyright laws, but most have agreed by treaty to recognize the laws of other nations in safeguarding works internationally against copyright infringement.
Just as laws vary between jurisdictions, the punishments for copyright infringement also vary somewhat. In some countries, unauthorized materials will be confiscated, such as illegal copies of a work, and all profits will be seized and given to the copyright owner. Courts can also require the offender to pay punitive fines and reimburse the copyright owner for any lost profits.
Some common examples of copyright infringement include downloading music from the Internet, making unauthorized copies of movies and music, and reproducing or downloading copyrighted material to share with others. It is estimated that over 4 billion US dollars (USD) is lost globally every year from illegally copied music alone. While most countries try to discourage music piracy, a few others appear to be ineffective at enforcing copyright protection. Chile, Spain, Russia and China are among the nations where pirated music accounts for a large percentage of total music sales, even though these countries all participate in the Berne Convention, dedicated to the protection of copyright.
The recognition of the importance of protecting artists and authors from copyright infringement is not new, and copyright laws have been around for centuries. In the late 19th century, the Berne Convention was established to provide copyright protection internationally. The agreement, which is updated periodically, has more than 160 people agreeing to grant authors and artists from other countries the same protection against copyright infringement as their own citizens.
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