Much of today’s information can be found at the touch of a finger. There are plenty of streaming services that provide a plethora of TV shows and movies. Most books and music can be found through similar internet services.
Every form of entertainment is easily accessible by today’s consumers for a small price. Like the days when ships were taken for their goods by lowly pirates, however, not everyone feels it’s right to pay for their entertainment. That’s why some people resort to modern-day intellectual piracy.
Here’s what you should know:
Surfing the web has made piracy easier
Today, piracy is done through the internet in much the same way you search for your favorite TV show. Internet pirates find the show they want on a risky-looking site and skip the need to pay the steaming costs.
Regardless of where they find the show, pirates infringe on a piece of intellectual property’s protection. Copyrights and trademarks protect the owner from having their product distributed without their permission. They also protect the right to reproduction of the product. After all, the creators of these works need to earn a living.
Products you download can put you in jeopardy of criminal charges
Unless a product has entered the public domain or was distributed for free, products downloaded off websites may infringe on someone’s intellectual rights. This can cause you to be accused of stealing someone’s property similar to stealing someone’s car.
It can be hard to know where a site retrieves its content. A site you recently visited may have been littered with stolen products. Lest you think that intellectual property theft is not really a big deal, you should know that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has made stopping such thefts a priority. If you’re facing piracy charges, you need to know your rights and assert a strong defense.