Copyright and Piracy are big current issues in the digital publishing world for publishers. Copyright is a way in which the creator of works can become recognised for the workings they have produce and benefit commercially (Hall, 2013). Not only is it the responsibility of the publisher to help the author gain what they want by means of reputations and commercially but also the protection against copyright infringement. However there are issues and difficulties along the way when it comes to publishing digitally compared to publishing in print, because of its ability to be dispersed so easily and quickly
Because copyright was first used for physical copies of authors works and with the changes of the publishing world, does it mean it can or can’t be adapted for digital products? ‘…Experts such as Patry, the senior copyright counsel at Google Inc., present the case for ‘fixing’ copyright to fit the new technological age.’ (Hall, 2013).
There have been alternative approaches to copyright, such as copyleft and creative commons copyright licenses. They have been put together in ways which material can be distributed freely so that it may discourage consumers to use it commercially. Creative commons seems to be the one that works well for digital as it allows users to ‘load their content to determine their use.’ (Hall, 2013). The principle of the creative commons is that the author still gets the credit for the creativity and originality. However the trouble for publishers is that ‘there is no real control over the license so it can easily be infringed.’ (Hall, 2013)
Piracy is another issue that publishers have to tackle and in the print world they’ve done so attentively. It is not necessarily easy for people to make pirated copies digitally but has far more temptations. This is because it can be done from many different countries, sites can be opened and closed at the click of a button and it’s more challenging for those trying to capture the pirates. (Hall, 2013) This makes it much more difficult for publishers to keep up with the pirates. Additionally authors and publishers that become aware of piracy can contact the internet service provider to shut these sites down.
The marketplace has always be a place for piracy, the ability to download content cheaper or even for free for some people is very ideal. There was an article by Jim Milliot which informs that in 2012 publishers won an international piracy battle. Based in Ireland the pirates were said to of earned around $10 million from their sites, this being great news for creators and publishers, didn’t seem to so great for the consumers of this site. Comments were left under the article via a ‘Facebook social plugin’ saying another website was already underway and another stating that ‘it’s not fair for the 3rd world countries who can’t afford the content for educational matters and that perhaps older editions should be put down to a nominal fee.’
Word Count: 494
References:
Bloomsbury. (2012). Bloomsbury Open Content. Available: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/academic/online-resources-and-ebooks/bloomsbury-open-content/. Last accessed 2th Oct 2014.
Hall, F (2013). The Business of Digital Publishing. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Pg 139- 153
Milliot, J. (2012). Publishers Score Win in International Piracy Battle. Available: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/50650-publishers-score-win-in-international-piracy-battle.html. Last accessed 24th Oct 2014.
Seeber, M & Balkwill, R. Managing Intellectual Property in the Book Publishing Industry. Switzerland: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 11-14.
Because copyright was first used for physical copies of authors works and with the changes of the publishing world, does it mean it can or can’t be adapted for digital products? ‘…Experts such as Patry, the senior copyright counsel at Google Inc., present the case for ‘fixing’ copyright to fit the new technological age.’ (Hall, 2013).
There have been alternative approaches to copyright, such as copyleft and creative commons copyright licenses. They have been put together in ways which material can be distributed freely so that it may discourage consumers to use it commercially. Creative commons seems to be the one that works well for digital as it allows users to ‘load their content to determine their use.’ (Hall, 2013). The principle of the creative commons is that the author still gets the credit for the creativity and originality. However the trouble for publishers is that ‘there is no real control over the license so it can easily be infringed.’ (Hall, 2013)
Piracy is another issue that publishers have to tackle and in the print world they’ve done so attentively. It is not necessarily easy for people to make pirated copies digitally but has far more temptations. This is because it can be done from many different countries, sites can be opened and closed at the click of a button and it’s more challenging for those trying to capture the pirates. (Hall, 2013) This makes it much more difficult for publishers to keep up with the pirates. Additionally authors and publishers that become aware of piracy can contact the internet service provider to shut these sites down.
The marketplace has always be a place for piracy, the ability to download content cheaper or even for free for some people is very ideal. There was an article by Jim Milliot which informs that in 2012 publishers won an international piracy battle. Based in Ireland the pirates were said to of earned around $10 million from their sites, this being great news for creators and publishers, didn’t seem to so great for the consumers of this site. Comments were left under the article via a ‘Facebook social plugin’ saying another website was already underway and another stating that ‘it’s not fair for the 3rd world countries who can’t afford the content for educational matters and that perhaps older editions should be put down to a nominal fee.’
Word Count: 494
References:
Bloomsbury. (2012). Bloomsbury Open Content. Available: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/academic/online-resources-and-ebooks/bloomsbury-open-content/. Last accessed 2th Oct 2014.
Hall, F (2013). The Business of Digital Publishing. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Pg 139- 153
Milliot, J. (2012). Publishers Score Win in International Piracy Battle. Available: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/50650-publishers-score-win-in-international-piracy-battle.html. Last accessed 24th Oct 2014.
Seeber, M & Balkwill, R. Managing Intellectual Property in the Book Publishing Industry. Switzerland: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 11-14.