Technology piracy in the information age : a copyright law problem

Abstract

The history of copyright reflects the development of technology. At first copyright was designed to benefit the invention of printing, which remained predominant for several centuries as the means of disseminating information in a permanent format. In contrast the technology of today moves with breathtaking speed. The sociologists tell us that we are moving into a post-industrial society - into an Information Age. Information is revealed to the entire world instantly, at the speed of light. The techniques of reprography, of tapes and cassettes for magnetic recordings, cable television, telecommunication and broadcasting by satellite and,finally, the computer are all remarkable instruments of dissemination. Throughout this thesis I have been exclusively concerned with the copyright problems brought about by these new media, more specifically the piracy of copyright material. Piracy is rife in most copyright areas because intellectual property has become a mass consumer product and the technology of today enables the duplication of these works at negligible costs. My intention has also been to represent the state of copyright law in Malta, highlighting the gaps and deficiencies which the incidence of new technology has revealed, to assess the various attempts at reform undertaken by more developed nations and finally to suggest a basis for updating our legislation with a view to controlling the phenomenon of piracy, which has already reached our shores.