Copyright Law Case Study
Copyright law is the exclusive way that identifies legally individuals who may copy, publish, and sell all forms of writings. It may also include music, pictures, and other forms of art. It is an area surrounded by a lot of myths and misconceptions. Even it is conflicting and contradicting in various ways. Copyright, on the other hand, is the legitimate way of copying a piece of art and must be allowed by the creator of the art. Therefore, this essay will discuss the various areas of copyright as well as the problematic regions of copyright enforcement.
Fairness is one of the areas of copyright. It entails fair use and fair comment of specific information. Furthermore, it involves having an exception of critiques and ridicule as a way of expression about a particular schedule. However, caution should be taken in that the work should be mentioned and not used. Sometimes permission from the creator of the art is needed, and it becomes a challenge. There are several legitimate ways of fair use of copyright, such as: reporting on a speech. Here the original information of the creator is paraphrased and reported accordingly. Also, we have a line by line commentary where one adds some knowledge in the regard of critics and making valid comments.
Nevertheless, some acts are not fair use. For example, someone posting entire videos on YouTube. It occurs where one can post in a personal channel and may even earn through such an activity.
Personal use is an area highly related to copyright law. It entails using other people’s art for personal gains. It is mostly related to educational purposes. Individuals researching higher education institutions need vital information. The information they seek is primarily found in books and another form of art that is initially not theirs. Therefore, they use this information in their projects or assignments. This is allowed when the data is fairly applied and objectively done.
Different acts have been taken in enforcing copyright laws. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is one of the initiatives that help in ensuring the copyright laws are followed. Much has done but some enforcements have been a challenge in diverse ways. For example, the internet and technological advancement are a challenge in copyright advancement. Data is cheap and easily accessible. It allows fast information transfer, and thus it reaches a large number of people in a short time. For instance, visual arts are used in places where websites are showcasing their content. Since the internet has allowed online databases that will enable specialized art images, art is accessed illegally. Google images are easily accessible, and one accesses them without knowledge of the creator. It becomes quite challenging to control due to the inability to track the flow of actionable information.
Increased advancement of portable devices deters the enforcement of copyright laws. Accessories such as smartphones, laptops quickly get access to information. Information on movies, albums, and ringtones are easily accessible. They can be pirated easily and transferred from one person to another. Despite having some laws that prevent such acts, invasion of applications, and programs that easily access internet information is easily gathered. With the advancement of technology each day, it becomes a significant threat to the enforcement of copyright laws unless other technological progress in favor of copyright laws, then in future copyright laws will be violated.