Protecting digital rights for a safer online environment

However accessible the Internet may be, it does pose many problems for artists and it gives a lot of work to copyright enforcement groups, which now have to take extra measures.

New York, NY (prHWY.com) March 31, 2013 - Internet users all over the world enjoy the benefits it brings in terms of entertainment: you can watch your favorite TV shows, access music that is not available in your local music store or watch movies that you've missed at the cinema. However, not all access is legal or fair for the holder of the digital rights. For example, there are many people who now use file sharing websites and the famous P2P software to download files, but, at least according to the U.S. legislation, this is not legal. When the phenomenon began, artists were not overly concerned, because they believed that this made them popular and increased their number of fans. But soon it all got out of control - when a game that took years to develop or an album which took months to create leak online and everyone can download everything without having second thoughts, artists understood that they need to take more measures in order to protect their works. Thus starts their collaboration with an US copyright group, a company that uses special software to monitor the world wide web and locate those who upload or download content without permission.

Rightscorp is one of the companies that works regularly with copyright holders and, apart from informing them how their content is distributed online, it also contacts the users, when they are caught accessing it without permission. This is done only when the artists, musician, publishing house or record label asks so and, in case they wish to press charges or demand a fee, it is also up to the enforcement group to inform the users. In the past years, more and more people have received such messages and wonder: should I pay Rightcorp ? There is no fixed answer to that question. As a customer, you have, of course, to contest any decision or charge. Note, however, that in most cases these messages are rightfully received - after all, only 1% of the activity on P2P software is legal. Taking the case to court is wastes a lot of time and money, so more often than not paying the small suggested fine is a recommended course of action.

A common misconception is that only downloading content without authorization constitutes copyright impingement. There are many other ways in which digital rights can be broken, some better known than others. For example, some users save photographs from artists portfolios and then use them with commercial purposes, even thought they do not have permission. In these cases, it is even worse than unauthorized distribution, because, if you use a song in a commercial without permission, the musician can be negatively affected by the association. Similarly, a musician can make a remix after another musician's work in a completely different style and also without being granted permission. There are many instances where copyright enforcement groups can intervene. In order for users to have a pleasant online experience and at the same time avoid being accused, they should try to learn more about their responsibilities and the limitations they should respect when it comes to online content.

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Tag Words: rightscorp, should i pay rightscorp, us copyright group, digital rights

Categories: Law

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