Intellectual Property and Copyright Ethics Essay

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There have always been people with unique talents which helped them to create unusual masterpieces and attract societys attention to their actions and creativity. At the same time, these works enriched the nations cultural heritage and contributed to the further evolution of human thought. One realizes the fact that these masterpieces were appreciated because of the unique idea created and provided by an author (“Content Curation: Copyright, Ethics & Fair Use” par. 6) That is why a new approach or an unusual perspective on some traditional issues became one of the most important values appreciated by the human society.

At the moment, the law guarantees the protection of authorship rights and intellectual property. There are numerous regulations that help the owners of these unique ideas obtain incomes and enjoy the benefits of being a creator of a unique idea. However, several points of view on the given issue exist nowadays. There is a certain group of people who are sure that they have the right to share any copyrighted material if they have once bought it. The given approach creates a precedent as it might deprive an author of the income he/she might obtain if a person buys this very work.

For this reason, the ethical question related to sharing copyrighted material appears. First, it should be said that there is a significant difference in sharing entertaining material or works that could be used with certain practical purposes (“Internet Ethics: College Students Say Downloading Copyrighted Material is not Unethical” par. 3). For instance, when listening to music or watching a movie, a person has no other aim but to have fun (“Is it a sin to share, download, or pirate copyrighted material (music, movies, software) on the internet?” par. 7).

Otherwise, using some materials for practical purposes, a person might expect some income and other benefits. At this rate, the author of the idea that helped a person to enrich himself/herself and obtain some revenue has the right for a slice of the profits (“Online piracy and the distribution of copyrighted music files. Ethical, moral, and legal considerations” par. 5). If an authors idea is bought, he/she will obliviously obtain this very part of income. However, in case this idea is shared for free, the author will be deprived of any opportunity to enjoy the benefits of being its creator. Additionally, there is another problem that comes from the free sharing of copyrighted materials.

The adherence to the given pattern might result in the destruction of the important institution that regulates the functioning of our society and helps it to evolve. This is about the right of a person to be the only owner of his/her unique ideas and manage their distribution. Nowadays, a common individual uses hundreds of devices that were created due to the appearance of the unique approach to some phenomena in his/her everyday life.

Yet, owners of these unusual perspectives managed to patent them which means that any person or organization that wants to benefit from the usage of the above-mentioned ideas should be ready to pay (Hadzima par. 4). The given scheme creates the basis for the further evolution of science and assures that there will always be a certain stimulus for inventors, authors, researchers, etc (“Reasons for Patenting Your Inventions” par. 5).

However, in case the practice of the free sharing of copyrighted material will become popular, this institution might also suffer. People might easily accept the idea that any innovation could be used for free and deny the provision of any rewards for this concepts author. One should realize the fact that it will obviously destroy the basis of the modern advanced society that depends on the usage of innovative ideas greatly. In other words, there should always be a certain stimulus for a person to be ready to create something new as the process of its creation should be considered a complex task.

Therefore, analyzing the issue from the consequentialist perspective, one should admit that the desired result of these materials use is crucial for the classification of the given actions. A purpose becomes very important. As stated above, the desire to obtain some benefits at the expense of the exploration of another persons idea should be considered unethical as it undermines the existing value system and conditions the initiation of vigorous debates related to the importance of the observance of the main laws that protect people and their new ideas. For this reason, this very approach could be used to explain the pernicious impact-free sharing of copyrighted material might have on the coherent society.

In conclusion, any unique idea should be considered a great value as it conditions the alteration of the existing approach and significant changes in peoples mentality. That is why the practice of the irresponsible usage of innovative perspectives and solutions should be described as unethical and inappropriate as it undermines the basis of the civilized community, results in the depreciation of the main product of human activity, and sets a precedent for the further destruction of the institution of authorship.