Protection of Intellectual Property

Many people download movies, music, and software to a computer. Streaming services for downloading such applications are common on personal computers and mobile devices. In many cases, peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted materials is illegal, yet this activity persists and is popular on the Internet. There are existing as well as proposed laws to combat such piracy; however, laws and regulations may apply in one jurisdiction and not in another, and not all cultures treat intellectual property (IP) the same. For this Discussion, evaluate the effectiveness of current countermeasures against theft of IP.

Consider the existing technologies and laws as countermeasures to IP theft in your country. Evaluate them based on their effectiveness to curtail digital content piracy. What modifications to these countermeasures would you suggest to make them more effective? Explain your reasoning.