Intellectual Property in the Digital Age
IP rights protect creations of the mind. The digital age transforms how IP is created, distributed, and infringed.
Copyright
Protects original works: literary, artistic, musical, software. Exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, display. Automatic on creation, lasts life + 50-70 years.
Software and Copyright
Software protected as literary work. Licensing: proprietary, open source (GPL, MIT, Apache), freeware, shareware.
Patents
Protect inventions (novel, non-obvious, useful). Software patents controversial. Last 20 years from filing.
Trademarks
Protect brand identifiers. Domain name disputes resolved through UDRP.
DRM
Controls digital content access: encryption, watermarking. Fair use provides limited exceptions.
Open Source
Copyleft (GPL) vs permissive (MIT, BSD). Creative Commons for non-software content.
Summary
IP protection balances creator rights with public access in the digital age.