Piracy of Intellectual Property

Piracy of intellectual property refers to the unauthorized use, reproduction, and/or distribution of protected materials, such as computer software, video games, music, or movies. Piracy has become an increasing concern in recent years because of the rise of the Internet and the speed with which copyrighted material can be distributed globally to a large number of people. This entry defines piracy in relation to intellectual property, explores patent, trademark, and copyright infringement, and further explores how piracy is understood and regulated in different cultural contexts, specifically China and the United States.