4.+Copyright+and+Law

**List THREE ways of committing a crime under Australia's //Copyright Act//.**
 * Recording or filming a live performance without the performer's consent
 * Renting out CDs or computer games
 * importing certain types of items containing copyright material, such as feature films on DVD

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**Explain why shareware is cheaper than commercial software packages.** Products given to consumers, free of charged for a short period of time is shareware. Shareware is cheaper than commercial software packages because shareware is completely free and allows a consumer to trial a software package and evaluate it for a period of time. During that time the consumer can either purchase the software package or not. Where as software packages are sold to the consumer on the spot without the liberty of trialing it. If the consumer doesn't like software package it would be almost impossible to return it as they have already opened it and used it.

**Describe the technology developed by one Australian company to reduce software piracy.** (DRM) Digital Rights Management is a genuine program used to protect copyrighted content that is being played back on a computer or any other devices. There is currently a windows media DRM platform which allows consumers have a flow of copyrighted content to any device, subscription services offers the chance to rent or purchase digital media and ensures the security of the content.

**Why is copyright a major problem to multimedia publishers?**  Copyright is a major problem to multimedia publishers are constantly running into licensing problems. Multimedia is made up of a variety of works, including Graphics, Video, Text, film, music, photographs, paintings, animation, text, data, maps and games. The problem is that the multimedia author must ask for consent from all these works to make one single product.

**Do you think it is right to copy software without the permission of the author? Justify your answer.** No I don't think it is right to copy software without seeking the authors consent. Copying not only software but anything else that was under the copyright law shows a lack of creativity as the person who breached the Copyright Act can't come up with their own ideas. They would most probably also be getting money they don't deserve and the creator of the software will decrease in their income and businesses will be lost due to software piracy. If this piracy continues creators will be less likely to release any information to society and any new software will be put on hold which affects the public from enjoying new technology.

** What are the legal issues surrounding software and the internet? In particular, look at sites from which software may be downloaded and list the types of software available on such sites. ** The legal issues regarding software and the internet is that the owner has the power/right to decided whether their work can be reproduced and communicated to the public via posting their work online. Software owners are allowed to distribute their rights to another person, otherwise if any software is found copied on the internet without any consent shown, the person has breached the Copyright Act and could face penalties such as imprisonment and a fine of up to $600,500. [] This particular site offers shareware and freeware to consumers. Software packags include a Mp4 converter, Security packages (Anti Virues, Spyware removal, Firewalls, password managers), Dvd and Video programs, Imager editors, Photoshop, Games, Instant messaging, video cat, Java and Javascript etc. [] This website is a shareware and freeware website. The software available to potential buyers is Anti Virus Software, Rippers, Burners, Converters, Image resizing, Image Editors.