Future of Copyright

.The group that selects this topic as thiers please put your name and composition here!
.Then place your 20 research questions
.Then divide the questions amoungst the group and answer them in this page! (to be done for next week Thursday - 4 May)

Great, an interesting topic! Check also the LIACs 2006 scenario set Future of Intellectual Property that gives insight into and connect with this issue.

Group 4 Ching-Heng Wu, Hui-Fei Yen, Vijay Kalappa

Research questions

1.What is Copyright?

2. What is Intellectual Property? A product of the intellect that has commercial value, including copyrighted property such as literary or artistic works, and ideational property, such as patents, appellations of origin, business methods, and industrial processes. (American Heritage Dictionary)

3. What is a Patent?

A patent, in this context is a grant made by a government that confers upon the creator of an invention the sole right to make, use, and sell that invention for a set period of time. (American Heritage Dictionary)

4. What is the Public Domain?

"The public domain comprises the body of knowledge and innovation (especially creative works such as writing, art, music, and inventions) in relation to which no person or other legal entity can establish or maintain proprietary interests within a particular legal jurisdiction. This body of information and creativity is considered to be part of a common cultural and intellectual heritage, which, in general, anyone may use or exploit, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes." Wikipedia

5. What is P2P?

Peer-to-peer is a type of Internet network allowing a group of computer users with the same networking program to connect with each other for the purposes of directly accessing files from one another's hard drives.

6. what behavior of users would cause the copyright infringement of software?

1.Creating a copy and selling it. Differences in legislation may also make the copyright invalid in some jurisdictions, but not in the others. 2.Creating a copy and giving it to someone else. This forms copyright infringement in most jurisdictions. 3.Creating a copy to serve as a backup. This is seen as a fundamental right of the software-buyer in some countries. It can be infringement, depending on the laws and the case law interpretations of those laws, currently undergoing changes in many countries. For example, in the US, US law thinks that this behavior is not copyright infringement. 4.Renting the original software. In some jurisdictions, user can do so, but in the others, users require permission from the copyright holder to allow renting the software.

7. What is the effect of copyright infringement on digital culture?

Illegal copying has changed the landscape of digital culture drastically. Peer to peer (P2P) file sharing technology and IRC have allowed for the unauthorized distribution of software, as well as of massive amounts of information. That power has changed the marketplace for making and cultivating culture generally, and that change in turn threatens established content industries." However, while piracy is not only about the illegal sharing of software or protection of personal property, it comes to share all information without restrictions. Software piracies in general are complicated and multifaceted topics which affect almost every aspect of our lives. What we decide to do about enforcing copyright will determine our own cultural development or lack in the future.

8. What is the DRM and what is its aim?

Digital rights management (DRM) refer to any of several technologies used to enforce pre-defined policies controlling access to software, music, movies, or other digital data and hardware. DRM handles the description, layering, analysis, valuation, trading, monitoring and enforcement of the usage restrictions that accompany a specific instance of a digital work.

9. Is there any DRM implementations? Give examples

Examples: a) Adobe Systems(.PDF can restrict document printing): "... a publisher might give users the ability to print several pages of a cookbook within a set period of time." b) iTunes (which incorporates Apple's FairPlay DRM for content downloaded through the iTunes Music Store). c) Windows Media DRM (WMDRM) which protects Windows Media Audio or Windows Media Video content and is implemented in Windows Media Player d) OpenIPMP is an open standard DRM for protection of MPEG-4; it is available as open source e) Sony has announced their own DRM protected music store named Connect, using their DRM technology OpenMG. OpenMG supports the Sony ATRAC sound format.

10.How long would Copyright last ?

Copyright lasts for different lengths in different jurisdictions, with different categories of works and the length it lasts for is based on if a work is published or unpublished. General speaking, the default length of copyright for many works is either life of the author plus 50 years, or plus 70 years. Copyright in general always expires at the end of the year concerned, rather than on the exact date of the death of the author.

11. Is there anyone to oppose the copyright? What are their arguments?

There is anti-copyright movement. It is the opposition to copyright laws or specific statements that are added to works in order to encourage wide. Their arguments are below : a). y, copyright originated only in the last few decades. Creativity flourished well before copyright existed. b) While some are in favor of limited copyright terms, copyrights in many countries last for periods longer than a human lifetime. It is argued that even if a limited copyright period would be beneficial, these long copyright terms hold content back far longer than necessary. c) Many argue that copyright is inherently contrary to the ideals of free speech and expression which are valued highly by free societies. d) Some companies abuse copyright privileges by suing or threatening to sue those who clearly are within their rights under fair use, but who cannot afford to defend themselves in court. e) Frequently, content creators do not hold their own copyrights, instead relinquishing them to publishers, producers, and the like, through contractual arrangements.

12. Will copyright disappear in the future?

13. Does copyright obstacle sharing knowledge or human development?

14. Or on the contrary, does copyright help human create more?

15. If copyright disappears in the future, what will happen?

16. Is it possible to preserve or protect copyright by using technology skill? An interesting question, one that Google would love to answer in the affirmative. The Google Books Library Project is a plan to scan the entire book collection of several major libraries into their databases, thus making it easier to procure information from older publications that may be hard to find. Google clearly believes that this is a "preservation" project. However, critics and publishers alike have denounced the plan as a "broad sweeping violation of the copyright act."

17. What is the original of copyright?

18. What is the relationship of copyright and economic?