Why does all this copyright reform stuff matter, anyway? What's at stake? (Doctorow, 2008). With reference to arguments from those for and against copyright reform attempt to answer Doctorows question.

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DIGITAL MEDIA 1101

“Why does all this copyright reform stuff matter, anyway? What's at stake?” (Doctorow, 2008). With reference to arguments from those for and against copyright reform attempt to answer Doctorow’s question.

This assignment will cover the question that Doctorow has asked, “Why does all this copyright reform stuff matter, anyway? What's at stake?” to try and answer this question I will look upon a few different examples and look at examples of people protecting and people breaking copyright law.

What is Copyright?

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, is the current UK copyright law. This law is there so that people who create media texts have the right to control how their work is used. The rights that the creator has are, copying adapting, issuing, renting and lending copies to the public. Also usually the creator will have the right to be known as the author of the work. There is duration on the time that the work has a copyright, and there are some provisos on how long the media text is protected.  Underneath is a table of duration of copyright. (The UK Copyright Service)

For literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works

70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the work dies, or the work is made available to the public, by authorised performance, broadcast, exhibition, etc.

The Copyright (Computer Programs) Regulations 1992 extended the rules covering literary works to include computer programs.

Sound Recordings and broadcasts

50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the work dies, or the work is made available to the public, by authorised release, performance, broadcast, etc.

Films  

70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last principal director, author or composer dies, or the work is made available to the public, by authorised performance, broadcast, exhibition, etc.

Typographical arrangement of published editions

25 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was first published.

Firstly looking at an online article by the BBC it says that most consumers of media texts are confused by the copyright laws, talking about this issue first means that even though authors of media texts are getting upset with the unauthorized uses of their work nothing much is being done to stop it because most of the UK public don’t even know they are breaking a law. In this article they talk about how “copyright law was outdated and millions of people were unaware they were breaking laws.” (BBC) and how many people did not know that copying a music file or similar media text to a separate music playing device was illegal and is called format shifting. Similarly when the use of video players became more abundant it was illegal to record a TV show and then watch it later on but the law was then amended. So again with the creation of more technological advancements should the copyright law be amended?

Join now!

To begin to talk and respond to this question, firstly we will look at some examples of people for the use of copyright law and why they are so adamant that the use and enforcement of the copyright law is a good thing.

Looking as an example at the debate against Lars Ulrich and Chuck D on the show Charlie Rose, this was a show debating the use of their music being distributed on the internet (predominantly Napster) for free. To begin the debate Ulrich basically sets up the debate by telling the audience that he feels ...

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