Copyright infringement of audio-visual works
Encyclopedia
Copyright infringement of audio-visual works, often referred to as piracy or warez
, occurs when unauthorized copies are made of music, movies and similar works. Incidence of copyright infringement has grown dramatically since the late 1970s, as technology has facilitated the unauthorized duplication of copyrighted works. Unauthorized copies of original CDs, DVD
s and other media are sold for very low prices around the world.
Copyright infringement surged in the entertainment industry after the advent of the VHS
home video equipment. Initially, unauthorized recordings were made using hand-held video cameras to surreptitiously record movies shown at movie theaters.
In the 1990s, unauthorized duplication of music CDs began to become an international phenomenon, especially in Asia
and Latin America
. It is estimated that over 100 million CDs have been illegally reproduced for selling. In the case of music CDs, it is much more difficult to catch copyright infringement. Illegal copies are unlikely to be found at retail stores; instead, copies are sold at on-street markets and other personal selling sites for as low as 0.5 USD.
Each country has different copyright laws that apply to music and film, which can cause legal difficulties when unauthorized works are sold digitally over the internet, as it is not yet clear which jurisdiction the crime falls. Most found guilty face a fine of varying degrees, although in some cases a jail
sentence can be imposed. This is most likely to occur only for people manufacturing large quantities of unauthorized CDs/DVDs. In some countries, copyright infringement is rarely prosecuted, either due to privacy laws taking precedence over economic interests of copyright, overburdening of the judicial system or a simple grey area that has not yet been resolved legally.
Not everybody sees copyright infringement as a problem. Some see it as a natural evolution of society in conjunction with the rise of the internet
, which fundamentally changes the way society operates. Where this article up to this point has largely described the views of the pre-Internet media industry, there are other views. Most of these views claim that, while copyright infringement is bad for the pre-internet media distribution corporations, it benefits the artists by increasing their audience past what would have normally been expected. There is an argument for this, and studies have occasionally shown that people who tend to download lots of music may also buy CDs of artists they discover this way, but reactions to these studies are mixed and the studies themselves may have been flawed in relying either on self-reporting or using too narrow a study group .
Film pirating groups in China
tend to be large and highly-organized. In the United States
piracy groups consist of small groups of people with smaller operations; many illegally-copied release films are sold in flea market
s.
Warez
Warez refers primarily to copyrighted works distributed without fees or royalties, and may be traded, in general violation of copyright law. The term generally refers to unauthorized releases by organized groups, as opposed to file sharing between friends or large groups of people with similar...
, occurs when unauthorized copies are made of music, movies and similar works. Incidence of copyright infringement has grown dramatically since the late 1970s, as technology has facilitated the unauthorized duplication of copyrighted works. Unauthorized copies of original CDs, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s and other media are sold for very low prices around the world.
Copyright infringement surged in the entertainment industry after the advent of the VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
home video equipment. Initially, unauthorized recordings were made using hand-held video cameras to surreptitiously record movies shown at movie theaters.
In the 1990s, unauthorized duplication of music CDs began to become an international phenomenon, especially in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. It is estimated that over 100 million CDs have been illegally reproduced for selling. In the case of music CDs, it is much more difficult to catch copyright infringement. Illegal copies are unlikely to be found at retail stores; instead, copies are sold at on-street markets and other personal selling sites for as low as 0.5 USD.
Each country has different copyright laws that apply to music and film, which can cause legal difficulties when unauthorized works are sold digitally over the internet, as it is not yet clear which jurisdiction the crime falls. Most found guilty face a fine of varying degrees, although in some cases a jail
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
sentence can be imposed. This is most likely to occur only for people manufacturing large quantities of unauthorized CDs/DVDs. In some countries, copyright infringement is rarely prosecuted, either due to privacy laws taking precedence over economic interests of copyright, overburdening of the judicial system or a simple grey area that has not yet been resolved legally.
Not everybody sees copyright infringement as a problem. Some see it as a natural evolution of society in conjunction with the rise of the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, which fundamentally changes the way society operates. Where this article up to this point has largely described the views of the pre-Internet media industry, there are other views. Most of these views claim that, while copyright infringement is bad for the pre-internet media distribution corporations, it benefits the artists by increasing their audience past what would have normally been expected. There is an argument for this, and studies have occasionally shown that people who tend to download lots of music may also buy CDs of artists they discover this way, but reactions to these studies are mixed and the studies themselves may have been flawed in relying either on self-reporting or using too narrow a study group .
Film pirating groups in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
tend to be large and highly-organized. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
piracy groups consist of small groups of people with smaller operations; many illegally-copied release films are sold in flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
s.
See also
- Pirated movie release types
- Copyright infringementCopyright infringementCopyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
- Media Piracy in Emerging EconomiesMedia Piracy in Emerging EconomiesMedia Piracy in Emerging Economies is a report released by the Social Science Research Council in 2011. It contents that “high prices for media goods, low incomes, and cheap digital technologies are the main ingredients of global media piracy...
(a report by the Social Science Research Council, 2011)
External links
- Film Piracy Issue! Scroll down to bottom of page for pdf of 'Private Screenings' Magazine issue from the 1970s on 16 mm Film Collectors being busted by the FBI, courtesy of ScienceMonster.Net
- Reflections on the real cost of movie and software piracy
- Film Piracy Heads North of Border by Bob Strauss, Daily News, April 7, 2009