Internet Piracy - Limitations on the Freedom of Speech and Access to the Content on the Internet

Many young Internet users equate freedom of speech with the freedom to access content disseminated on the web - treating both concepts as synonyms.

Internet piracy undoubtedly has serious consequences for the economy. It is the example of sophisticated methods of violating intellectual property rights. It causes financial losses in music, publishing and media sectors and film industry. Accurate assessment of the losses is difficult. A lot of web users support pirates, thus becoming a part of their profitable business. Prosecution of the subjects illegally distributing and storing pieces is sometimes extremely complicated. It is so due to difficulties in identifying perpetrators and jurisdictional problems. Digital technologies which occur on the internet are easily adopted before any adequate laws are introduced, and the existing copyright laws stem from the experience of the era of analog technology. Current lawmakers try to create norms and rules which would befit the constantly changing digital reality and they are still one step behind.

Many young Internet users equate freedom of speech with the freedom to access content disseminated on the web - treating both concepts as synonyms.

Internet piracy undoubtedly has serious consequences for the economy. It is the example of sophisticated methods of violating intellectual property rights. It causes financial losses in music, publishing and media sectors and film industry. Accurate assessment of the losses is difficult. A lot of web users support pirates, thus becoming a part of their profitable business. Prosecution of the subjects illegally distributing and storing pieces is sometimes extremely complicated. It is so due to difficulties in identifying perpetrators and jurisdictional problems. Digital technologies which occur on the internet are easily adopted before any adequate laws are introduced, and the existing copyright laws stem from the experience of the era of analog technology. Current lawmakers try to create norms and rules which would befit the constantly changing digital reality and they are still one step behind.