PIRACY: THE ACTION PLAN AND LESSONS LEARNED!
posted on June 03, 2022 | Author Dr. Swati Jindal Garg
It says, “Give people what they want, when they want it, in the form they want, at a reasonable price, and they’ll more likely pay than steal it.” Even if some still steal it, we can still stop piracy to a large extent.
Anyone who is or has been a creator will invariably vouch that his creation is his ultimate idea and he would keep the same with his life in case he felt it might be stolen or hijacked by another.
Piracy, which is the biggest problem facing original content creators in today’s world, basically refers to the unauthorized duplication of copyrighted content which is then sold at significantly lower prices on the ‘grey’ market. The ease of access to technology has meant that over the years piracy has become more rampant. For example, CD burners are commercially available at very low prices, which makes pirating music simple.
The official definition of piracy may keep changing as people’s perspective and opinion change, but what remains constant is the fact that piracy was, is, and always will be an illegal act aimed at enrichment. illicitly through the efforts of others.
In antiquity, the term piracy was often used for the act of raiding or plundering, which involved the embarked raiders, who then attacked the inhabitants of another ship or a coastal area, the main purpose being to plunder them of their possessions, such as the cargo or other valuables. In modern times, however, piracy generally refers to stealing for copyright and trademark reasons, i.e. illegally stealing and infringing someone else’s work and producing it as if it was his. Piracy can also be said to be similar to theft because when someone illegally distributes a digital file for free, they prevent the proceeds from the purchase of that item from going to the coffers of the person who created it in first place.
Jtypes of hacking
Broadly speaking, piracy can be categorized into five types:
Counterfeit:?It is the unlawful acquisition, duplication and distribution of any copyrighted material, which directly imitates the copyrighted product. The nature of the distribution of said product may be a sale, or not. The most common way to distribute these pirated works is through compact discs.
Internet Hacking: Internet piracy involves downloading a file from the Internet or obtaining one online software via compact disc. Internet hacking methods are websites offering free downloads of Software, auctions selling software obtained illegally or P2P servers that transfer programs.
End-youfor hacking: This form of piracy consists for the user of illegally reproducing software that he is not authorized to do. An example would be a user licensing the software and installing it on multiple systems, or upgrading one already pirated software.
Customer-soveruse: In a computer network, when the number of clients exceeds the number prescribed in the server license, then it is called overuse hacking.
Hard-Disk Loading: This happens when a company sells new computers with illegal copies of software loaded onto the hard drives to make buying the machines more attractive.
Piracy in our everyday life
Hacking manifests itself in many forms in our daily lives, so much so that we even forget to identify it.
Piracy is rampant in the film industry where it has become the biggest nasty in the lives of producers. Movie piracy involves the act of illegally acquiring and reproducing, then distributing motion picture material without any right or license. The most common form of the same is the illegal distribution of movies on websites that show newly released movies for the purpose of increasing traffic. Chances are that by the time a new movie comes out, one of these sites will surely offer a downloadable version of its pirated version. Such an act is very dangerous for the film fraternity as it eats away at their profits.
Apart from the fact that there are various modes of offline piracy which take the form of pirated CDs and tapes, ohOnline piracy has multiplied in today’s world with the advancement of technology. Any digital content, be it movies, music or games, can now be accessed online through the BitTorrent client service, which gathers multiple pieces of data from a swarm of users, then downloads and compiles them on the user’s computer. It’s not only extremely simple and effective, but it is also unfortunately extremely difficult to suppress. This technology has become the scourge of all developers life because it breaks their morale by taking away the fruits that come in the form of a hit game that has been developed for many years and throwing them for free in front of millions of users.
Software piracy is another rampant and essentially the illegal acquisition, copying, reproduction and distribution of software without a valid Licence. Software piracy has become an albatross around the necks of all original creators as most software has been converted to a single user license i.e. it can only be used once once by a single user for his exclusive use. Distribution of this software, such as sharing with a friend or via the Internet, is illegal. However, software hackers have found ways around this single user limitation by creating methods by which multiple users can use a single license and thus cause losses to the seller.
AAnti-piracy laws and their effectiveness
India is one of the largest democracies in the world with several box office dominating film industries. Not only Bollywood but also Tollywood and Hollywood have large audiences in India and hence the rewards for movie piracy are also bigger. Internet users often use VPNs to visit torrent sites that host songs, games, movies, and more. Local vendors in technology centers often sell compact discs containing pirated movies and games, which are sold at low prices. Amendment Video game hardware to play pirated discs is also a booming industry in India.
The Union of India has recently issued an amendment to the Cinematograph Act, 1952, to clearly define the penalty which may be faced by pirates who, without the written permission of the copyright holder, use a recording device for making or transmitting a copy of a motion picture. The film does not have to be fully recorded, or even distributed via the Internet. If the author attempts to record the film inside the theater, he is guilty under the law. The punishment for this is usually imprisonment, a fine, or both. This sanction may also extend to those who download said pirated films.
However, the penalty will also vary depending on the use and industry in which the act of piracy is committed. The most notable forms of penalties are covered by the provisions of the Copyright Act 1957 and the Information Technology Act 2000. The penalties specified are as follows:
• Copyright law: ?If a person uses a pirated computer program or a program that was made or acquired by violation of copyright, on any computer device, it shall be liable to imprisonment for at least 7 days, which may go up to 3 years, and a fine of at least Rs. 50,000, which can be extended up to Rs. 3,000,000.
• IT act: If a person accesses a computer, a computer network or computer systems, he then proceeds to view, copy and extract the data present on the computer, either by digital means or by removable storage. medium(USB key or hard disk), without the prior authorization of the owner of the computer, he is liable to damages and interest by way of compensation which may go up to a sum of Rs. 1 crore. Anyone who downloads said stolen data will also be liable for the same amount.
In addition, piracy of content from streaming platforms can also to a large extent able to be stopped by three methods:
? First, by implementing better security for available content.
? Second, by rendering content easily too accessible and inexpensive. If it doesn’t cost an arm and a limb, people will probably go ahead and buy it rather than steal it. Economies that were creating profit with a higher margin will now earn more due to scaling the product so that the original creator is not at a loss.
? Third, strict measures must be taken against organized piracy so that the right message is sent and errant individuals are deterred.
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