Copyright Infringement

A FORM of intellectual property theft, copyright infringement occurs when one party copies another party's copyrighted material without first obtaining permission. Major challenges for those seeking to enforce laws protecting copyright holders extend from the fact that laws have, over time, become insufficient for conviction within the new global environment. Further, the penalties have typically been proven to be an insufficient means of deterring would-be violators. According to legal scholars, (Barr, et al.) this form of intellectual property theft has become so common that civil damages are considered part of the cost of doing business.

Copyright violators pose significant costs to rights holders by cheapening the cost of their product on the open market. Those seeking to hold violators of the law accountable have often encountered ...