Introduction
It is undeniable that technology has revolutionized the way modern society interacts with information. Moreover, there have been more types of media are on the rise recently. Certainly, this undermines the Copyright Law since modern media content can easily be modified, used, or transferred across media platforms. In order to protect intellectual property in modern media, stringent measures need to be considered. This paper discusses the necessity of a stronger copyright law on modern media.
Internet
Internet consists of many applications such as file sharing, blogging, video and file sharing, tagging, video logs, YouTube, digital libraries among others. It also offers a platform in which trade for media content takes place.
All these technologies present loopholes in which the existing copyright laws are infringed. It thus becomes necessary to have stronger and more stringent copyright law to protect authors from misuse of their intellectual property. This also goes hand in hand with digitizing the law to ensure that it takes into account possible breach (Bailey 2006).
Television
Television has become an integral part of the modern society. Modern television is characterized by wide variety of intellectual properties pertaining to movies, news, music, adverts, and documentaries, among others. In addition, video sharing technology has changed the way information is passed on through television.
For instance, it is possible to present an interview of several people through web conferencing. Intellectual property relating to graphics, illustrations, content among others need to be protected from this digital revolution (Verbauwhede, 2005). Strong copyright law is essential in guarding any intellectual property presented through television. This may include strong copyright law on consumer profiles, means of advertisements, adverts slogans, persona, and product endorsements among others.
Films
Film industry has not been left behind by the technological advancement. Shooting, recording, development, distribution, and sale of film products solely depend on modern technology. The filming process uses technology such as video editing that can make it possible to use parts or sections of other person’s film or literary work.
For instance, there are many movies done from themes in novel. Original authors of such works need to be adequately covered from copyright infringement. On the other hand, the film industry needs to be covered from unauthorized sharing, distribution, sharing, and sale of their work (Overbeck & Belmas, 2010).
Warez bb, Pirates Bay and other content sharing sites are good examples of why there is need to have strong copyright law. Free membership to these sites guarantees you free access to almost any entertainment or software application content including recent release movies and music. The only way to cushion property owners is by enacting stronger copyright law that would ensure that each person having access to such property holds a degree of responsibility pertaining to the copyright law.
As efforts to cushion property owners from challenges of modern media are applied, it is essential to reevaluate the definition of shelf life of a copyright. This is because modern media enables media content to infiltrate into public domain within a very short time.
A piece of music released to the public domain at a given time usually gets to millions of people within a minute or so due to advancement in communication technology and internet. In such instances, the author may not have much control over the flow or use of the work. This calls for stronger copyright law that incorporates the factor of time.
Modern media has changed the way authors interact with their customers. While it was common for music artistes to sell their music products in tapes and CDs, shows and performances are more prevalent. Recordings of such shows, promotions, and performances need to be adequately accounted for by strong copyright law. This is because the performances and shows are increasingly becoming the main source of income for artistes as compared to the traditional means of sale (Overbeck & Belmas, 2010).
Digital libraries
Gone are the days in which people used to go to the library to read and research on their favorite subjects. With access to internet, you can get access to almost all reading materials in the world through online libraries. Depending on preference, electronic copies of books can be borrowed or bought. Moreover, it is also possible to pay for a period in which a reading material can be accessed.
These factors complicate the way authors, distributors and users of reading materials handle the material content. This issue is worsened by the fact that modern media platforms allow users to get the specific piece of information needed. For example, one does not need to purchase a whole book to read a single chapter but the specific chapter can be downloaded (Theng & Foo, 2005).
What would happen if everyone read and quoted a book on the preview section? Certainly, the owner would never benefit from the intellectual work. If copyright law is not tightened enough to take care of such specific needs, authors will be cheated of their intellectual wealth. This makes it very necessary to put into place stronger copyright law.
YouTube
YouTube is a modern social utility in which the modern society uses to share video content. Whereas it has greatly improved access to information, it has complicated content-user interaction. People can edit original media content and post it on you tube without the consent of the owner.
For instance, video disc jockeys (VJs) can make a video consisting of best pieces of music from different artists hence making it unnecessary to purchase original albums. This necessitates strong copyright law to protect artists from such unfair presentation of their work (Delta & Matsuura, 2008).
Conclusion
Modern media platforms such as internet, television, radio, digital libraries, YouTube among others have changed content-people interaction. These technologies expose intellectual property owners to the mercies of distributors, sellers, and users of such property. In order to cushion them from the challenges of modern media platforms, stronger copyright law is necessary.
References
Bailey, C. (2006). Strong Copyright + DRM +Weak Net Neutrality = Digital Dystopia? Web.
Delta, G & Matsuura, J. (2008). Law of the Internet. Volume 1. New York, NY: Aspen Publishers Online.
Overbeck, W & Belmas, G. (2010). Major Principles of Media Law, 2011 Edition. London: Cengage Learning.
Theng, Y & Foo, S. (2005).Design and usability of digital libraries: case studies in the Asia Pacific. Calgary: Idea Group Inc. (IGI).
Verbauwhede, L. (2005). Intellectual Property Issues in Advertising. Wipo Program activities. Web.