Copyright Programs
Copyright programs aim to protect the intellectual property of artists, authors and inventors. These laws and amendments prohibit individuals from illegally obtaining published works and/or selling them for personal profit after a legal purchase.
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History
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Copyright programs date back to England's 1710 Statute of Anne--the first law protecting artists and writers against publishing monopolies. The 1710 Statute of Anne in England is considered the first official copyright program; it granted authors and creators the rights to publish and copy their own works for 14 years (renewable once for another 14 years). The U.S. followed suit in 1787, establishing that Congress was to "promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries."
Developments
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The ability to copy and download music and other files has required numerous reconsiderations of laws about content production and redistribution. Since 1787, copyright laws have been amended to include technological developments, such as photographs, dramatic performances, motion pictures, VCRs, CDs, DVDs, MP3s, and the devices that enable individuals to download share physical and digital art.
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Warnings
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University of Southern California and Cornell University are two of many universities with excellent copyright education programs. With the rapid advancements and ubiquitousness of file sharing capabilities, it is possible to accidentally violate copyright laws. So in 2008, Congress signed the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which requires colleges and universities to develop copyright awareness programs that educate students about copyright infringement as it can occur through peer-to-peer file sharing (e.g., Limewire, Napster, campus networks).
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit copyright image by YvesBonnet from Fotolia.com Wireframe Copyright Symbol image by Stacey Alexander from Fotolia.com download image by michanolimit from Fotolia.com computers image by Olga Chernetskaya from Fotolia.com
