
In addition, file sharing programs are designed to both hide themselves and the files they share, so they sometimes delete files after they are shared and are hard to find on the computer. File sharing software is specifically designed to work unattended when the computer is not busy doing other things. However, it's more likely that it happened without you actually asking it to. There have been reported cases of file sharing software being planted on computers by hackers and then used to share copyrighted material on the Internet. As discussed elsewhere on this site, peer-to-peer applications carry with them certain security risks. Copyright Office, especially their FAQ's. For more information, please see the Web site of the U.S. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For details, see Title 17, United States Code, Sections 504, 505. A court can, at its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys' fees. For "willful" infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or "statutory" damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed.


Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement.

These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. Here's a brief summary of the Civil and Criminal Penalties for Violation of Federal Copyright Laws.Ĭopyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under section 106 of the Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code).
#Dmca violation full#
Copyright holders and the people who generate the violation notices can prosecute you to the full extent the law allows.
