The term Intellectual Property (IP) covers such a wide range of objects that the rules and rights regarding IP are convoluted and complex. People become easily confused as to what is protected as IP, what rights they can assert over their own property, what can be demanded of them, and what they are allowed to do with others’ IP. The average person usually connects IP with copyright laws, ignoring patent law and unfair competition protection among other rights which mainly concern businesses. They are affected to a greater extent in their conscious everyday lives by the implications copyright law, (though that doesn’t mean that the other forms of IP doesn’t affect them all the time).
With the advent and rise of digital technology, the interpretation and enforcement of IP rights and laws have been renegotiated. The ease with which anyone can copy, manipulate, and distribute forms of IP is unprecedented. Nearly perfect copies are possible for someone with the basic, off-the-shelf technology. Fearing for the protection of their property and the economic rewards that often accompany it, some organizations have become extremely strict when enforcing copyright laws. Proponents of a more lenient interpretation cite free use limitations (more commonly referred to as fair use) stating that the legal actions that the organizations are pursuing go beyond reasonable terms. They assert that they also have creative rights that allow them to express themselves while borrowing from other sources; to do any differently would suppress creativity and innovation and be a detriment to society.
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