What Is Infringement?
Copyright is a bundle of exclusive rights. Section 106 of the copyright law provides the owner of copyright in a work the exclusive right: • To reproduce the work in copies; • To prepare derivative works based upon the work; • To distribute copies of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending; • To perform the work publicly; • To display the copyrighted work publicly • In the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission. Section 501 of the copyright law states that “anyone who violates any of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner …is an infringer of the copyright or right of the author.” Generally, under the law, one who engages in any of these activities without obtaining the copyright owner’s permission may be liable for infringement. Nevertheless, there are several limitations of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner. The copyright law provides exemptions from infring
