Topic > Copyrights and Patents - 980

Everyday businesses provide the world with products and services. People in general are not self-sufficient. Who has time to prepare their own clothes, eat, clean the house or even look after their children? Today's ever-growing business world and technological advancements make it extremely easy to get anything you could want, as long as you have the money to buy it. Many people have achieved great success and wealth from their original products and business ideas. People have also gained great wealth by borrowing, stealing, or adapting an "original" idea. Most copying and fraud involves software and clothing items. (Edwards6) One aspect of this phenomenon is known as smuggling. this is where someone copies a program, CD, show, etc. and sells it on the street. According to Mike Edward of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, worldwide CD piracy represents 6.5% of the industry's annual sales. A different approach to borrowing an idea does not necessarily copy the product. Instead, it is about deceiving the consumer. As in one case, the Miller Brewing Company has developed a new beer with a similar label to that of Annheuser Busch, which is currently the number one brewer in America. The “new beer” aimed to steal sales from the “King of Beers”. (Melcher 37) Logos are also often copied. A logo is defined as a symbol or advertising message that represents a product or service. In one case, OJ Simpson agreed to share marketing rights with the Florida Department of Citrus to use his initial in connection with orange juice. (Wells 1) Materials can be illegally duplicated in many different ways. This includes anything related to software sharing, CD copying, and illegal sweatshops. Commercial goods have patents that should protect them from illegal duplication. Digital technology is becoming a big problem for graphic artists looking to protect their creations. Scanners have made instant image duplication very easy. The creator must apply for a copyright in order to sue for fraud. Images not protected by copyright are in the public domain. Additionally, copyrights expire 50 years after the creator's death. (Baer 163) China plays an important role in copyright piracy. Officials estimate that China exports about $827 million a year in impostor products. An example of this is shampoo with a familiar American brand label, but containing different ingredients than US versions.