Pirates of the Internet

Introduction - Francisco Escobar What is Copyright Infringement? Copyright infringement in the classical sense is the unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material. This particular topic, while interesting, is not the topic of our research. Instead, we will discuss copyright infringement in terms of electronic media.

Copyright Infringement… …in terms of electronic media is defined as the unauthorized reproduction and distribution of said media. It is commonly referred to as "piracy" and is a topic of quite some debate. We will discuss several topics in our presentation pertaining to this piracy, from both sides of the debate on the legality and morality of the issue.

Illegal Music Downloading – James Woplert Music downloading is a trend that is everywhere in society today, both in legal and illegal forms. Through services such as iTunes, and band specific programs, one can easily legally obtain many songs. Through “services” such as BitTorrent, one can obtain the same songs for free, illegally.

Music Downloads Around 2 billion dollars in revenue are generated by the industry today. In 2006, 509 million songs were legally downloaded online. In that same year, 5 billion songs were illegally downloaded. That is equal to approximately 38,000 years of music. Music is not the only pirated media form, as you will soon see.

Illegal Downloads of Other Media – Nick Rial Most computer software is copyrighted. This does not deter a thriving illegal software downloading community. These programs are downloaded using the same programs to download music illegally (“torrent” programs which use a peer to peer method of file transmission).

Piracy in Other Electronic Media Movies and video games are also downloaded with a similar regularity. Audio-visual piracy can also take the form of the duplication of DVD’s and the distribution of physical copies thereof. These extremely cheap copies (some selling as low as $1 each copy) are often sold in countries where copyright law is either ignored completely or a legal grey area.

Prosecution of Piracy – Pros and Cons -Trevre Cusma The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is at the forefront of the anti-piracy movement, and hold quite clearly that pirates need to be punished. The RIAA says it targets individuals monthly, in an attempt to deter piracy. It’s method of targeting these individuals has some flaws, occasionally leading to the accusation of such unlikely targets as those without a computer at all, and the deceased. Nevertheless, the RIAA has settled out of court with many defendants for sizeable sums.

The Anti-Copyright Movement Those opposed to the copyright laws as they relate to the internet cite the fact that these laws were designed to let creativity flourish by providing artists a source of income. These laws, argue the anti-copyright movement, instead inhibit creativity, and are outdated in electronic media. They argue that the laws create an “intelectual monopoly”, weakening the incentive for creativity and increasing it’s cost.

Conclusion – Seung Lee The infringement of copyright laws is one that is not as cut- and-dried as the opposing sides may think. There are many arguments for and against the downloading of digital media, and the legality thereof. Those against so-called “piracy” see it as outright theft, and an infringement of the rights of those who create this media. Those against copyright laws see them as obstacles in the path towards greater diffusion of knowledge and greater creativity, and hold that the laws for copyright must be updated for the digital age. We will leave who’s right and wrong in this debate up to you, the listeners.

THE END Thank you! Work Cited: Wikipedia. Web. 30 Sept