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Music copyright infringement How Does Music Copyright Infringement Affect Me? Music copyright infringement happens all around us every day, by both well meaning people downloading music from their favorite social networking site to the guy who’s reselling MP3s. To be certain, most people who commit music copyright infringement don’t realize what’s going on, and are in turn doing something very illegal and prosecutable in the United States. Copyright Infringement, as defined by Wikipedia.org states: “Copyright infringement (or copyright violation) is the unauthorized use of material that is protected by intellectual property rights law particularly the copyright in a manner that violates one of the original copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. The slang term bootleg (derived from the use of the shank of a boot for the purposes of smuggling) is often used to describe illicitly copied material.” We’ve all heard of ‘bootleg’ recordings – usually audio recordings taken from concerts and sold on home made cassettes or CDs and distributed (sometimes out of the trunk of a car) to anyone that will buy. Bootleg recordings have changed, however, as music copyright infringement has branched into video recordings. Music copyright infringement has exploded with the advent of the internet, and now people from all over the world are sharing every type of imaginable file – from eBooks to audio to music – and small label artists began feeling the pinch years ago. However, many new and older artists are beginning to see the beauty of the internet, and are offering their music for sale track-by-track on iTunes and other MP3 sales websites, as well as through their own band websites and MySpace pages. The internet has exploded in the possibilities it’s given up and coming musicians to become visible, while at the same time drastically increasing the number of music copyright infringement cases – some of which were against innocent people who just weren’t informed. Music copyright infringement cases have helped to create organizations that protect the fair use of an item, such as a song. Organizations such as CreativeCommons.com and the Electronic Frontier Foundation help individuals to know their rights under copyright acts. While there are organizations that help you understand your rights as a purchaser of copyright use, there are organizations that want to limit the ways in which you use the products you buy. It is rumored, for example, that record distribution and production companies want to limit the ways in which you use the music you buy – they don’t want you to put it on your computer or make a Mix Tape or CD from it – for fear of ‘sharing.’ It seems to me, however, when music publishers and distribution companies limit uses like this, they’re opening up a tidal wave of music copyright infringement cases. By limiting the use of purchased material, the companies are alienating their client base and pushing all their sales away from physical products and toward electronic ones – which are much harder to control. A way in which these companies tried to limit the uses was by creating a DRM program, which severely limited the where a CD could be played (on one computer, for instance). And, in one drastic measure, Sony placed a DRM program on all their CDs in the Winter of 2005, and severely crippled several networks when their ‘program’ was actually malware that seriously crippled network security. As you can see, music copyright infringement is something that is currently being fought between end users and music production and distribution companies. In this new century, we must find a way to retain copyright, and allow the customers to use the products they buy in a meaningful way, or otherwise the market will shift and the industry as we know it will be abandoned.

Copyright lawyer salary The Going Rate of a Copyright Lawyer Salary A copyright lawyer salary all depends on how many cases he/she gets. Your average copyright lawyer makes a little under $300 per case, but that is just to register a copyright. Which means that depending on what they are doing for you will determine how much it’ll cost. Now many of these lawyers will offer to have you fill out an online application, which means they aren’t getting paid by hour so it doesn’t hurt your check book. You get what you need done and they go on to the next client. Keep in mind if you are only needing someone to file your copyright this may be a good way to go but in order to protect you from various other types of copyrights you may want to hire a professional. Yes, it’ll cost you a lot more money but you will have everything you need. Don’t be afraid to approach a firm because a copyright lawyer salary seems high, many of them will work with you on payments. Not everyone is rich and they know it, they also know it is the working man that helps them stand tall. After you hear everything that goes into paying the copyright lawyer salary you may wonder why they don’t get paid more. . A copyright lawyer salary is basically just like any regular lawyers, it is all figured out by what they do and what they charge. Every item that they do for you has a set fee, whether it is filing a copyright for you, looking up information, going in to court for you, etc. Some lawyers may even charge by the hour, find out before spending two hours discussing what your problem is. Maybe there is a way you can shorten your story a little. You may find out that your lawyer charges you for him/her going out of town. These little things can add up to big numbers for your lawyer, however you normally know how much after your first visit. If you have any questions on the cost of something ask, don’t be shy it is your money you are spending after all. After reviewing the numbers he gives you, shop around and see what another copyright lawyer may charge you and stick with the one you think is best. Remember best doesn’t mean the copyright lawyer salary that is the highest amount, which can just mean they like to charge huge fees. If you are someone that is actually thinking of pursuing the copyright lawyer field make sure you are up-to-date on all the new laws of copyrighting, so much has changed in the last few years. Now will you be able to live comfortably with a copyright lawyer salary that just depends on you and how many cases you’d be able to pull in. I say finish that law degree or start taking classes in it, there is always someone needing a copyright lawyer. Why not let it be you? Now if you don’t want to hire a copyright lawyer because you’ve heard about the copyright lawyer salary, you may try doing it yourself and be able to save over 75% of what it would normally cost for an attorney. Keep in mind that by hiring a professional you may be saving yourself a headache down the road. While a copyright lawyer salary may seem extreme it is only because they know what they are doing and they are helping you. Which has more experience in the field, you or a copyright lawyer? Now which do you think will make sure you are protected? Remember it is your money that helps keep up that copyright lawyer salary, without you he/she wouldn’t get paid.

Got an Offer? How to Evaluate the Company to Ensure It’s the Right Move Being offered a new job is always a great feeling. No matter what type of job it is, the fact that the employer wants you is very satisfying. The inclination to put in your two-week notice and start packing up your desk can be exhilarating. However, be sure that you know what you are getting into before you plunge into a new job. The terms of a job offer should be written out in black and white, literally. Whenever a company offers a job to someone, there should be literature about the position to read. When the offer is made, be sure to spend some time reading over the literature and finding out exactly what the terms and conditions of the job are. Salary, benefits and the terms of employment should all be very clear before you accept the offer. Be sure that you read the fine print. This is especially true from sales jobs. That advertised rate of pay might be what you make with commission. Without the commission you may not have a salary at all. This could be a major issue if your sales do not go well. Salary is one of the most important things to find out about before you take a job. Make sure that what they are offering as base pay is enough for you to live comfortably on. Bonuses can sound really great when employers discuss them with you. However, what you have to do to earn the bonuses may be very difficult. Thus making the bonuses obsolete the majority of the time. Restaurant management is a career path where many times your bonuses are based on the success of your particular restaurant. Not you yourself. That means that when the restaurant is not doing well, there will be no bonuses. The hours you will be working is another issue you will want to tackle before you take the job. Find out exactly what you are expected to work. This could be tricky with salaried positions. Find out what the average amount of hours is that employees spend on the job. Will there be travel? Many jobs post this in their advertisements but others are not so forthcoming with this information. Living out of a suitcase can be ideal for some but if you are not looking forward to having a relationship with your spouse strictly through cell phones and e-mails, you better inquire. If you are not open to travel be sure to find out if travel could be included in your position. The environment at the office could be hard to gauge. However, if you go to an interview and are not greeted in the lobby or see a few scowling employees, chances are, the office environment is a bit hostile. This is a major thing to consider when taking a job. Is the management hiring new personnel in order to replace the existing personnel? If they are, why does the existing personnel need to be replaced? Try to feel out the environment of the office when you are waiting for your interviews to take place. What will your job entail? Will there be times that you are expected to do things that go against your better judgment? Will you be surrounded by a corporate mentality that is concerned only with numbers? Are you going to be able to put your reservations aside and carry out the job that needs to be done? If a job offer is made immediately, you may want to be leery of this position. Try to find out about the turnover rate of this position. There may be a reason why the employer is so ready to offer you the job.