What are the consequences of violating a copyright?
Exercising the exclusive right of an author or copyright holder without authorization may have serious consequences. In Canada, the Copyright Act provides for pre-established damages with amounts varying between five hundred dollars ($500) and twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for the violation of a copyright. All European Community member states have legislation that provide for damages and criminal penalties that may include imprisonment. Maximum penalties vary between a few thousand euro (Italy, Luxemburg), to nearly 500,000 (Belgium), and even as high as 750,000 (France, for corporations). Some countries have no maximum penalties. Prison sentences can vary between a few days to ten years (Greece, Great Britain, France).
