Copyright law and Internet downloading, social boundaries and the Internet - Essay Example

Copyright law and Internet downloading, social boundaries and the Internet Copyright law and Internet downloading, social boundaries and the Internet Introduction Information access has never been easy than during this current time when the cyberspace become an open source of a lot of materials. Written reports, documentaries, scientific research, personal journals, and a lot of other stuff abound, which to the serious users the limit of access is only the speed of the connection and the type of hardware one is using. But despite this accessibility, there is a big question as to how we filter garbage from precious bits, how do we recognize authority as to a certain information concern, and how do we protect the right of the original source of shared information. There is a legitimate answer in the clout of Copyright Laws, but there is a big question mark as to how the mechanism of its implementation in the virtual space. Downloading information from the Internet and using them in research papers would be simple and easy. It makes a researcher’s work lighter. It even makes research job funnier and interesting. However, there are ethical boundaries in the process of reusing the information. Developing a paper requires proper recognition of sources and not merely copying the statements it contains and merge it with the new document. There are legal implications, as far as copyright laws are concerned, as to how much from the original work one can use and when you can use them freely without the consent of the authors. Review of Literature Copyright Laws Printed materials whether work of art, literatures, or results of research and other scientific activities are products of intellectual endeavors. Their impact in the society cannot be felt unless they are published and shared. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property, and is protected by copyright laws once they are translated into some forms in some way. There are motivations in sharing in fact copyright protection was “viewed as offering an incentive for the production of artistic, scientific, and other creative content, while permitting the public to access, use and innovate with such creative works.” (Dmytrenko and Dempsey, 1). The World Intellectual Property Organization pioneered the protection mechanisms currently in place. WIPO was first to recognize the importance of protecting intellectual properties by organizing the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property in 1883 and the Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works in 1886 (WIPO, 6). Intellectual property rights can be Industrial, which applies to patents of inventions and similar outputs, and Copyright for works of arts and literature such as books, paintings, films, and others. Inherent to the right of the owners are the authority to use it and sole authority to grant other parties to use the property. In preparing reports however, WIPO (13) clearly states that quoting from copyrighted documents as long as proper recognition of the source is provided does not constitute violation of copyright. This right limitation is integrated in the Berne Convention document and frees the users from compensating the original author. This provision allows researchers to quote or cite important information from first hand sources or other relevant materials that are useful for own uses. The requirement is merely proper recognition of the original source. Copyright however has its life span. The affectivity of copyright may differ with countries but for those parties under the Berne Convention accept as a general rule that the copyright is in effect during the life of the author and 50 years after death (WIPO, 14) Discussions Internet Downloading The advent of Internet publishing has lead to a huge volume of copyrighted materials being offered for public use. The easy access of information via the web has also lead to rampant piracy. “The Internet affords a new medium for traditional types of creative expression and enables new types of expression. It also makes infringement of protected rights substantially easier” (qtd in Dmytrenko and Dempsey, 2). It became hard for institutions to track which information is firsthand or cited. It also became hard to identify if the idea written in one site is originally owned. For universities, software and computer programs are developed to track plagiarism and copyright violations but still there are huge volume of materials being copied everyday. Despite the varying issues on copyright violations in the Internet this medium remains the way of the future. A survey conducted in 2005 predicted “in 2014, it will still be the case that the vast majority of Internet users will easily be able to copy and distribute digital products freely through anonymous peer-to-peer networks” (Fox, Anderson, & Rainie, 16). Because of these, copyright laws are expected to change its face and adopt the current trends of the Internet. In fact, the scenario in which information access has become liberally copied and recopied is already in place. The trustworthiness of information Due to the bulk of information derived from the Internet one should take proper care in citing materials. Citing from sites that violates copyright laws will also cause the writer to share with the crime. In fact “publishing materials without authority constitute infringement of copyright laws” (Hardy, 16). Some sites add economic value to information as libraries and databases offer information through paid access. Fox, Anderson, & Rainie (17) reported that “experts foresee a two-level system in which one will be the commercial internet where information is paid for and the other is the open source internet that is more artistic and chaotic in a positive way.” Sometimes paid information is trustworthier, but there are open source sites, which are valuable as well. Universities as a major source of research results and ideas put strict consideration on recognizing original authors and even require students to produce research papers using primary sources as references and those coming from legitimate and recognized open source sites. Among those open source sites mentioned are sites maintained by professional organizations, government sponsored projects, and official government offices’ websites. Issues on Copyright protection Several issues related to protection of copyright were raised in the work of Dmytrenko and Dempsey. These include among others the concerns as to whom to protect, where to protect, whom to protect against, and how to protect them. In most websites where multiple authors are involved, there is a question as to the mechanism of copyright law protection as far as multiple authorship is concerned. This “challenges administration of the copyright law, for example, by complicating the process of obtaining authorization for use of a work” from several authors (4). Another thing, since the internet is a global media some sites are maintained and contributed by different authors from different countries. Which specific country laws shall prevail in case when copyright laws vary with countries? When the original work is created, there is another concern as to whom his works would be protected from. Will the law penalize the publisher or the content user for downloading illegally published documents? Finally, there is the big question of how to protect them. These concern must be addressed thoroughly for the benefit of all legal parties as far as copyright and internet downloading is concerned. Conclusion Hardy (283) states that because the Internet and digital technologies permit new ways of creating, using, and duplicating works of authorship, they raise new issues for copyright law. It was an issue raised by end of the 20th century. Now the problems become more real as copyrighted information reached even the remotest part of a country without the knowledge of the author. While professional and honest users observe ethics, the hackers are doing their best to have economic gains with less cost by looting websites and downloading copyrighted materials. This may not be so serious with researchers writing reliable research reports but in one way or another, there is bigger concern in the over-all context of copyright protection. Since moral and ethical boundaries are there for the moralist and ethical to follow, the law should be strong to regulate the sharing and uses of copyrighted materials not only in the Internet but in any ways where legal copyright exist. Literature Cited Dmytrenko, Olena and Dempsey, James X. “Copyright & The Internet: Building National Legislative Frameworks Based On International Copyright Law.” December 2004. March 31, 2008. Fox, Susannah, Anderson, Janna Quitney, and Rainie, Lee. “The Future of the Internet.” Pew Internet & American Life Project, Washington, D.C. January 9, 2005. March 31, 2008 Hardy, Trotter. “Project Looking Forward Sketching the Future of Copyright in a Networked World, Final Report.” May 1998. April 2, 2008. Purdue OWL and Stolley, Karl. “Avoiding Plagiarism.” Dana Lynn Driscoll. Sept 18, 2007. The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue. April 2, 2008 Read More