Challenges of Digital Music Copyright and the Liability of Internet Service Providers
Keywords:
Copyright, infringement, license, digital, music, download, onlineAbstract
Today, everything can be googled, copied, pasted, downloaded, shared and replicated without the knowledge of a copyright creator, who may be residing within the neighbourhood of his copyright infringer, let alone on the other side of the world. The nature of the internet has made respecting, protecting and adhering to copyright laws very difficult. Many commentators argue that the digital era has put copyright law under increasing pressure both at national and international levels particularly in respect of musical works and sound recordings. Holding copyright infringers accountable for violating copyright laws, especially on the internet has become a huge issue. In the light of International Initiatives, this work looks at the responsibility and liability of internet service providers for copyright infringement in respect of musical works and sound recordings.
References
IFPI Digital Music Report 2008, Press Release: available online at: http://www.ifpi.org/ content/section_resources/dmr2008.html Accessed 05/09/2013
SCRL Societe Belge des Auteurs, compositeurs et editeurs v. SA Scarlet [2007] ECDR 19
W. Cornish and D. Llewelyn. Intellectual Property: Patents, Copyright, Trademarks and Allied Rights. 2003 ( 5th Edition, Sweet and Maxwell, London pg 767
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (Hereinafter ‘CDPA’)
CDPA 1988 s.16 (3) Based on its provisions, a claimant is to show that the defendant carried out one of the activities which falls within the copyright owner’s control ,that the defendant’s work was derived from the copyright work and the restricted act was carried out in relation to the work or a substantial part thereof.
[2001] 1 WLR 2426
Ladbroke v. William Hill[1964] 1 W.L.R 273 AT 276; Ludlow Music v. Robbie Williams [2001] F.S.R 271 8 L Bently and B Sherman Intellectual Property Law (3rd edn, Oxford, New York 2009) pg 171
Ibid p. 175
CDPA 1988 s.16(2)
CDPA 1988 S. 9; see also Corelli v. Gray (1913) 29 TLR 116
L Bently and B Sherman Intellectual Property Law (3rd edn, Oxford, New York 2009) pg 172
ibid
IFPI Digital Music Report 2008, Revolution, Innovation, Responsibility: Making ISP Responsibility a Reality in 2008. See Footnote 1
Simon Gunning. Senior Vice President of Digital EMI UK and Ireland in IFPI Digital Music Report 2008, Revolution, Innovation, Responsibility: (Section 2) A New Deal for Consumers, pg12: available online at: http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/dmr2008.html
Accessed 05/09/2013
See footnote 14
Ibid.
All Research data culled from IFPI Digital Music Report 2008, Press Release: available online at: http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/dmr2008.html Accessed 05/09/ 2013
Ibid
ibid
S Hedley The Law of Electronic Commerce and the Internet in the UK and Ireland (Cavendish, London 2006); ( see UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Section16(1), Berne Convention, Article 9(1)
The Copyright Directive (Directive 2001/29/EC.) Directive on the Harmonisation of Certain Aspects of Copyright and Related Rights in the Information Society.
J Kennedy, Making ISP Responsibility a Reality in 2008: IFPI Digital Music Report 2008, Press Release, pg 3: available online at: http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/ dmr2008.html Accessed 05/09/2013
C Reed and J Angel.Computer Law; The Law and Regulation of Information Technology. (6th Edn, oxford, New York 2007)
C Gringras, The Laws of the Internet. (2nd Edn, Butterworths LexisNexis, London 2003) pg 271
Ibid pg 270
ibid
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Ibid. Section 16(2)
Ibid. Section 23.
R Massey ‘Independent Service Providers or Industry’s Secret Police? The Role of The ISP’s in Relation to Users Infringing Copyright’ [2008] Ent.L.R 19(7), 160-162, 160
SCRL Societe Belge des Auteurs, compositeurs et editeurs v. SA Scarlet [2007] ECDR 19
P Pedley Digital Copyright (2nd Edn, facet, London 2007) pg 44
Op cit. R Massey pg 160
N Davis. “The Digital Music Revolution – How will Traditional Rights Operate in the OLine Music World? [2005] Ent.L.R, 16(6), 137 -143
Ibid
R Piasentin “ Unlawful? Innovative” Unstoppable? A comparative analysis of the potential legal liability facing P2P End-Users in the United States, UK and Canada. [2006] I.J.L&IT, 14(2), 195 -241
Op cit. R Massey, 160
Ibid.
See G Sutter ‘Internet Service Providers and Liability’ in M Klang and A Murray (eds), Human Rights in the Digital Age (Cavendish, London 2005)pg 72
Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (Directive on electronic commerce) Art.12-14.
Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (Directive on electronic commerce) Art.15; This prevention of the imposition of any duty to monitor does not, however, prevent Member states of the European Union from imposing duties which require that some level of care be taken in relation to what is stored or transmitted. see G Sutter ‘Internet Service Providers and Liability’ in M Klang and A Murray (eds), Human Rights in the Digital Age (Cavendish, London 2005)pg
F. Supp. 1171 (N.D. Tex. 1997)
Some Countries, especially the United States of America seek to protect ISP’s from liability mostly because of commercial reasons as stated above.
Case C-275/06 Productores de Musica de Espana (Promusicae) v. Teleponica de Espana [2007] E.C.D.R. CN1
[1998] AC 1013 at 1054
supra
[2006] ECDR 21,
[2006] FCAFC 187
[2003] EWHC 62 (Ch)
Y Akdeniz ‘Governance of Ponography and Child Ponography on the Global Internet:A Multilayered Approach’ in L Edwards and C Waelde Law and the Internet Regulating Cyberspace (Hart, Oxford 1997) pg 226 See H MacQueen ‘Copyright and the Internet’ in LEdwards and C Waelde Law and the Internet Regulating Cyberspace (Hart, Oxford 1997) pg 93
E Todd Gringras: The Laws of the Internet (3rd edn, Tottel ,West Sussex 2008) pg 279
A Sachdeva, ‘International Jurisdiction in Cyberspace: A comparative perspective’ [2007] C.T.L.R , 13(8),245-248, pg. 245
Op cit E Todd pg 279
C Stromdale ‘Regulating Online Content: A global View’ C.T.L.R [2007], 13(6), 173-178.
Ibid pg 270
Op cit C Gringras pg 282
Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgements in Civil and Commercial Matters.
ibid
Pearce v. Ove Arup Partnership [1997] 3 All ER 31 at 34; Mother Bertha Music Ltd v.
Bourne Music Ltd [1997] EMLR 457; See also Ibid.
Supra
SCRL Societe Belge des Auteurs, compositeurs et editeurs v. SA Scarlet [2007] ECDR 19
Op cit S Hedley pg 9
Nicolas Sarkozy, Immediate Past President of France in IFPI Digital Music Report 2008, Press Release pg 21: available online at: http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/ dmr2008.html Accessed 05/09/2013
Op cit S Hedley pg 141
Op cit R Piaesentin, pg 214
P Mandelson, EU Trade Commissioner in IFPI Digital Music Report 2008, Press Release pg 18: available online at: http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/dmr2008.html Accessed 05/09/2013
See footnote 27 pg 91
On the issue of Industrial Regulation, some ISPs have refused to regulate on the excuse that policing internet is not ISP job and further stressing that its role as a mere conduct is given users access to the internet, rather than an operation that controls what users do on the internet. See Op cit. R Massey, 160
