What is piracy?
The term of piracy is generally used to describe the
deliberate infringement of copyright on a commercial scale. In relation
to the music industry
it refers to unauthorised copying and, in this context, falls
into 4 categories:
Physical music piracy
Physical music piracy is the making or distribution of copies
of sound recordings on physical carriers without the permission of the
rights owner.
The term "piracy" refers to activities that are of a commercial
nature, including activities that cause commercial harm. The packaging
of pirate copies
may or may not be different from the original. Pirate copies are
often compilations, such as the "greatest hits" of a specific artist,
or a collection
of a specific genre, such as dance tracks.
Counterfeits
Counterfeits are one type of physical piracy - These are
recordings made without required permission, which are packaged to
resemble the original as
closely as possible. The original artwork is reproduced, as well
as trademarks and logos in some cases, and IS likely to mislead the
consumer into
believing that they are buying a genuine legitimate product.
Bootlegs
Bootlegs are the unauthorised recordings of live or broadcast
performances. They are duplicated and sold - sometimes at a premium
price - without
the permission of the artist, composer or record company.
Internet Piracy
"Internet piracy" is commonly used to refer to a variety of
unauthorised uses of music or other creative content on the internet.
"Internet piracy" refers in particular to acts of
infringements on the internet that are of a commercial nature - not
necessarily due to the
motivation of the perpetrator. While some internet pirates
generate income from their activity, many people engage in such acts for
other,
non-commercial reasons - and they all can cause enormous
commercial damage.
The term is also often used to refer more generally to any
use of creative content on the Internet that violates copyright, whether
via websites,
P2P networks, or other me
