Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is a legal term referring to the unauthorized use of copyrighted material in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it.
Overview[edit | edit source]
The copyright law grants owners an exclusive right to control the use of their works in a number of ways, such as the right to reproduce, distribute, display and perform their works. Unauthorized use of these works in any of these ways constitutes copyright infringement.
Types of Copyright Infringement[edit | edit source]
There are two types of copyright infringement: direct and indirect.
Direct infringement occurs when a person directly violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights. For example, if a person copies and distributes a copyrighted book without the owner's permission, that person is directly infringing the copyright.
Indirect infringement occurs when a person contributes to or benefits from the infringement by another person. For example, if a person sells a device that enables others to copy and distribute copyrighted works without the owner's permission, that person is indirectly infringing the copyright.
Legal Consequences[edit | edit source]
The legal consequences of copyright infringement can be severe. They can include monetary damages, injunctions to stop the infringing activity, and in some cases, criminal penalties.
Defenses[edit | edit source]
There are several defenses to copyright infringement, including fair use, the doctrine of first sale, and the de minimis doctrine.
Fair use is a defense that allows limited use of copyrighted material without the owner's permission, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
The doctrine of first sale allows the owner of a legally acquired copy of a copyrighted work to sell or otherwise dispose of that copy.
The de minimis doctrine is a defense that the infringement is so trivial that the law does not take notice.
See Also[edit | edit source]
| Copyright infringement Resources | |
|---|---|
|
 |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
