copyright

finally updating my blog! from having a read through everybody else's blogs, it sounds like we're all in the same boat... i have been flat out with other assignments and stuff for a couple of weeks now, and i have an internal exam in only a week! starting to panic :S

i think one of the first things i think about when i think "copyright" in an online context it would have to be music. from the time i first heard about napster, it has been apparent to me that - even though its against the law - the anonymity of the internet has allowed thousands and thousands of people to share music online via downloading. this blatant disregard for the law has resulted in huge losses for the music industry, but many people argue that those in charge of that industry inflate the price of cds so much that the big music exec's are in a sense getting what they deserve after selling music to the public while making a huge profit. i've never used itunes to download music, but the idea of selling songs online for a lower price shows that the problem is so inherent that those in control have been forced to change in order to survive.

i guess i am in two mind frames regarding copyright. on one hand, i believe that people should be able to profit from something that they themselves actually created. however, when it comes to copyright for other things (such as information) i think that restricting access is unfair and disadvantageous. the beauty of the internet is that a wider world is available right at our fingertips; however that in itself is one of the downfalls of the internet. the problem is deciding where you draw the line, and in fact who decides where to draw that line? also, what makes music or software (things i don't have a problem being charged for) different from say, an article? it is all still the intellectual property of the creator, and therefore i think copyright is still a valid concept. but just because a concept sounds good in theory doesn't mean it works in real life. the reality is, the vast majority of people who use the internet without paying attention to copyright laws would never get caught for using something illegally. the internet is such a vast space, and the content available seems largely unregulated. therefore enforcing copyright laws seems to me to be a potentially impossible task.