Copyright: Technological Driving Forces

Description:

The development of techonology has made the protecion of copyright much more difficult. Prior to the internet, and also apparatus such as fax machines and photocopiers, the only way to obtain copies were by hand. This naturally took time and energy. Now, people are able to make copies in under a second. The developement of information technology has surprised consummers and shaken businesses that have failed to realise the significance of the technology. Below are some examples:

1.Cut and Paste:The copy and paste functions on a computer make creating copies of electronic documents very easy. The process takes seconds and can be copied in a variety of formats; .doc, .pdf etc.

2.Burning:The ability to burn disks facilitates the copying of very large files. The implications of this have resulted in consumers being able to copy entire discs of information -film, music and software - within a few minutes.

3.Downloading: The creation of P2P software makes sharing and downloading files very easy. You can share and access content from users around the world. This creates a wonderful sharing utopia, but seriously impacts copyright issues. P2P tools include: FTP, Kazaa, eMule, eDonkey, & BT.

4.Share without keeping so smart: While illege download has become an controvercial issue and hard to dealing with, Apple Computer creats a new function in iTune---online sharing. Now people can enjoy the whole music from the other computers without download or keeping them. Just click and link immediately. This perfectly avoid the copyright problem, and challenge the music busuness industry.

5.Spread quickly and widely: The creation of Internet make all kinds of information spread rapidly and broadly. Together with the broadband, wireless, and other emergent new technique, the speed od spread is accelerating and non-stop.

Enablers:

1.The continual updated P2P share software.

2.The higher speed of burning device and biger space of data storage medium.

3.The broadband, wireless, wifi and new internet access.

4.Reader and listener become used to enjoy without paying.

5.The prevalence of iPod and iTune.

6.The electronic printing.

Inhibitors:

1.The copyright law limits the development of technology.

2.The lawsuit to illigal downdload company or idividual P2P users.

Paradigms:

1.Change people's understanding of copyright and even to question the exsit of copyright. 2.Erosion the profit margin and market share of copyright owners.