- 14-Jun-2025
- Elder & Estate Planning law
The internet has dramatically increased the distribution and accessibility of creative works such as music, videos, books, photographs, and software. However, this ease of sharing also makes copyrighted content vulnerable to unauthorized copying, modification, and redistribution. To protect copyright holders, a combination of legal regulations, technical tools, and platform policies are employed to safeguard works and provide remedies in cases of infringement.
DRM technologies enforce restrictions on how digital content is used, copied, or shared. Examples include encryption, access controls, and device restrictions to prevent unauthorized duplication of ebooks, music, videos, and software.
While copyright is automatic upon creation in many countries, formal registration helps establish legal ownership and enables easier enforcement and litigation against infringers.
Watermarking: Visible or invisible marks embedded in images, videos, or documents to indicate ownership or track unauthorized use.
Fingerprinting: Creating unique digital signatures for audio/video files that help identify unauthorized copies across platforms.
Content creators define clear terms for legal use through licenses, including commercial use, distribution rights, and sharing restrictions. Licensing platforms help enforce these terms.
Platforms like YouTube use Content ID systems that automatically detect copyrighted material and can block, monetize, or track unauthorized uploads.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the U.S. and similar laws worldwide enable copyright holders to request removal of infringing content.
In India, Section 69A of the IT Act allows government-directed blocking of websites for copyright violations.
Swift issuance of takedown notices helps minimize damage.
Third-party companies monitor the internet and marketplaces to detect piracy, counterfeit content, and unauthorized distributions.
Some content is distributed via encrypted streams or secure apps that prevent unauthorized copying or screen recording.
Emerging use of blockchain for timestamping works and tracking ownership records securely, providing transparent proof of authorship.
Legal frameworks balance protection with fair use rights, allowing limited unauthorized use for criticism, education, or parody without infringement.
A music composer finds their songs uploaded on multiple unauthorized websites and video platforms. The composer registers their copyrights, applies digital watermarks, and uses Content ID on YouTube to detect unauthorized uploads. They send DMCA takedown notices to infringing sites, and work with anti-piracy services to monitor ongoing infringement. For new releases, the composer uses DRM-protected streaming platforms.
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