IRMA-International.org: Creator of Knowledge
Information Resources Management Association
Advancing the Concepts & Practices of Information Resources Management in Modern Organizations

An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Law Enforcement Against Online Music Piracy

An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Law Enforcement Against Online Music Piracy
View Free PDF
Author(s): Kaveepan Lertwachara (California Polytechnic State University, USA), Anteneh Ayanso (Brock University, Canada)and Alemayehu Molla (RMIT University, Australia)
Copyright: 2007
Pages: 3
Source title: Managing Worldwide Operations and Communications with Information Technology
Source Editor(s): Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A. (Information Resources Management Association, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-929-8.ch285
ISBN13: 9781599049298
EISBN13: 9781466665378

Abstract

Obtaining a copy of music without permission from the music’s copyright owner is illegal. Yet, millions of consumers engage in exchanging illicit music files over the Internet. Unlike other illegal activities, file sharing appears to be widespread among consumers across all walks of life. In order to curtail widespread music file-sharing activities, the music industry has sought to increase the enforcement of existing copyright laws (Liebowitz 2006). Initially, lawsuits were filed against operators of file sharing networks such as Napster and Audio Galaxy. Using these lawsuits, the industry was able to shut down file-sharing networks that engaged directly in helping computer users locate music files on other users’ computers (see, Napster, for example). However, the legal victory was short-lived. As soon as the operator of a file-sharing application is defeated in court, new file-sharing applications usually emerge quickly and draw a large number of consumers to start new, viable electronic networks for sharing music (Black, 2002). After Napster was ordered to shut down, new generations of file-sharing applications using updated and more decentralized technologies such as KaZaA, BearShare, and LimeWire appeared on the Internet.

Body Bottom