Web Piracy
Websites and Piracy: Should they be shut down Michelene P. Elmore English 122 Lee Ann Kinkade July 14, 2013
Websites and Piracy: Should they be shut down In this research paper, it will explain piracy, how it affects the economy, its social gains and losses, and the legal aspects of copyright materials. This paper is designed to show clarity, facts, and statistics to back up my findings. It will also present materials that were learned in class discussions, to help write this paper with a clear understanding of the web, as it relates to piracy. While others use the internet for social interaction and entertainment, many use the web site to download illegal materials. This has become, over the years, a growing problem within the American economy. Some people believe that these websites should be shut down, while others find no fault in file sharing. Although websites allow users to download, it is illegal to steal someone else work that has been copyrighted. Artists and companies work hard at creating music and ideas; and for someone to come along and download their music and software, it takes away from their revenue. Illegal downloading has been a major problem in the movie and music industries, infringing on copyrighted materials; because of this, web sites and their users have been sued and or shut down. “Piracy is a form of theft. Specifically, it refers to the unauthorized copying or use of intellectual property. Intellectual property is knowledge or expression that is owned by someone” (Torr, p.4, 2005). Piracy has been a problem for the entertainment and software industries by violating copyright laws. Copyrights protect an individual’s work from being copied, reproduced and/or performed, without their consent. A copyright gives an owner exclusive rights to their own materials. Internet piracy took off in 1999 when Napster was established. This on-line music service was
Websites and Piracy: Should they be shut down In this research paper, it will explain piracy, how it affects the economy, its social gains and losses, and the legal aspects of copyright materials. This paper is designed to show clarity, facts, and statistics to back up my findings. It will also present materials that were learned in class discussions, to help write this paper with a clear understanding of the web, as it relates to piracy. While others use the internet for social interaction and entertainment, many use the web site to download illegal materials. This has become, over the years, a growing problem within the American economy. Some people believe that these websites should be shut down, while others find no fault in file sharing. Although websites allow users to download, it is illegal to steal someone else work that has been copyrighted. Artists and companies work hard at creating music and ideas; and for someone to come along and download their music and software, it takes away from their revenue. Illegal downloading has been a major problem in the movie and music industries, infringing on copyrighted materials; because of this, web sites and their users have been sued and or shut down. “Piracy is a form of theft. Specifically, it refers to the unauthorized copying or use of intellectual property. Intellectual property is knowledge or expression that is owned by someone” (Torr, p.4, 2005). Piracy has been a problem for the entertainment and software industries by violating copyright laws. Copyrights protect an individual’s work from being copied, reproduced and/or performed, without their consent. A copyright gives an owner exclusive rights to their own materials. Internet piracy took off in 1999 when Napster was established. This on-line music service was
References: Anderson, N. (2010). LimeWire Sliced by RIAA, liable for massive infringement. Retrieved form http://artechnica.com/tech-policy/2010/05/major. DeVany, A. & Walls D. (2007). Estimating the Effects of Movie Piracy on Box-Office Revenue. Review of Industrial Organization, Vol 30, Issue 4 pp. 291-301. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007//s11151-007.9 Motion Picture Association of America (2005). Retrieved from www.mpaa.org/anti-piracy. Peitz, M & Waelbroeck, P. (Jan 2004). The effects of internet piracy on CD sales: Cross-Section Evidence. CESifo Working Pater Series No. 1122. Retrieved from http://ssrn.com/abstract=511763. Siwek, S.E. (Sept, 2006). The True Cost of Motion Picture Piracy to the US Economy. Institute for Policy Innovation, Policy Report 186.14. Torr, J.D. (2005). Internet Piracy. Farmington, Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. Yonder, C. (Dec, 2012). A Post-SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) Shift in International Intellectual Property Norm Creation. The Journal of World Intellectual Property. Vol 15:379-388.doi10.1111/j.1747-1796.20/2.00443x.