Discussion Activity #6:  Digital Rights and Intellectual Property 

Course Objective: Critically assess the digital rights management issues that exist in cyberspace.
 
The class discusses digital rights management and its impact on cybersecurity policy.   

Topic 1:  The effect of 3D printers on copyright owners
New larger 3D printers now can produce a variety of objects for business and medical use by using polymers and plastics to reproduce complex digital design files. 
Read the articles found under "Reserved Readings" titled:  "Printing the Impossible Triangle: The Copyright Implications of Three-Dimensional Printing" and  "3D Printing's Forthcoming Legal Morass."  

Answer these questions:
 
    •    How might the use of smaller, affordable 3D printers in the home affect the owners and manufacturers of copyrighted objects that have digital design files-for example, toys, musical instruments, or jewelry?
 
    •    Should copyright owners be compensated whenever their objects are copied by home users?
 
    •    What other aspects of 3D printing should government regulate, if any?
 
Background:
1. The Intellectual Property Implications of Low-Cost 3D Printing [2013]
2. 3D printing's forthcoming legal morass [2013]

Topic 3:  Software Piracy outside the U.S.

Evaluate the following statement: 
Software piracy levels are more rampant outside of the United States due to the differences in enforcement of copyright laws, which is due to (a) a country's relative poverty or relative economic wealth, which determines the national priority for enforcing copyright laws, and (b) cultural norms.  These differences add to the difficulty in enforcing consistent copyright standards transnationally.
Background:
1. The new age of piracy [2013]
2. As 3-D printing becomes more accessible, copyright questions arise [2013]