File Sharing: Rights and Risks

Millions of files containing songs, videos, software, documents, and other materials are exchanged online every day through file sharing. While some file sharing is legal, in other cases people copy and trade copyrighted products such as music and movies without paying for them. This title presents the basic facts, history, and legal and ethical dimensions of the file-sharing debate. Readers learn about key copyright issues for sharing online materials, including how to avoid piracy, exchange files legally, and protect their own creative work, knowledge that is critical for 21st-century digital citizens.