The legal framework protecting artists, authors and other content-originators. Copyright allows owners to prevent others reproducing their work without permission (though most jurisdictions allows some limited exceptions in specific circumstances for some types of content.)
Questions tagged [copyright]
24 questions
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Do longer copyright terms encourage people to create more?
In the Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) of 1998 (commonly known, derisively, as the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act"), US congress obliged to the Walt Disney Company's lobbying and signed a law that would for the fourth time since 1790 increase the…
Pertinax
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Was Mozart a music pirate?
A comment on a Philosophy SE Question by MGZero:
You'll probably find this interesting. Mozart created the first
illegal copy of Misere, which was heavily guarded by the Vatican. How
did he do it? He listened to it once in person and wrote the…
Chad
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Are 1 in 5 pieces of software in the US unlicensed?
This BSA form claims that
1 in 5 pieces of software in the US are unlicensed.
How true is it?
Franck Dernoncourt
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Did Stevenson assert his moral right?
I have here a copy of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, republished in 2010 by Harper Press, an imprint of HarperCollins's. On the copyright page is this text, with no further explanation:
Robert Louis Stevenson…
msh210
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Did Spam sue a 'popular email service' in the early days of the internet?
I seem to clearly remember hearing many years ago that Spam () sued Microsoft (or AOL, or another popular email service at the time) for using the word 'spam' to refer to junk email. They said it was of detriment to their brand.
Searching now,…
Danny Beckett
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Is downloading copyrighted material legal in Switzerland?
In Switzerland, is it legal to download copyrighted material without permission?
In Switzerland you'll get all kinds of answers to the question "Is it Legal?". The same goes of course for the internet where you will find articles that tell you it's…
Jutschge
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Does illegal downloading of music significantly damage sales?
Obviously the music industry has gone to great lengths to try and ingrain the message that illegal downloads of music have significantly damaged their bottom line, but is there any irrefutable evidence that declines in sales for major labels are as…
Django Reinhardt
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Were thousands of people executed by "Breaking On the Wheel" for copying fabrics in pre-revolution France?
An article by Rick Falkvinge best categorized as political opinion / commentary on copyright enforcement claims that:
A few centuries ago, the penalty for unauthorized copying was
breaking on the wheel.
It is a term we’re not very familiar with…
Paul
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Is visiting a banned torrent site punishable by 3 years jail in India?
Recently, it has been all over the news in India that if anyone visits a banned torrent site, they may get jailed for 3 years.
Here is an example:
The Indian government, with the help of internet service providers, and presumably under directives…
Mr_Green
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