美国对数字出版中侵权现象的应对措施

Copyright Infringement and Digital Publishing: The US Legal Response

美国现有的版权法律条文不能有效地应对数字出版商们的忧虑。尽管数字作品可以享受和印刷作品同等的版权保护,我们似乎仍然需要新的法律条文和理论来应对数字作品和技术的特殊性质。在面对与数字侵权有关的问题上,美国通过立法、改进美国版权署的职能以及签订国际条约或协定,缓慢开始颁布一些关于数字侵权的条文。数字侵权虽然在庭审中得以应对,但法庭运用的是传统版权概念中的“合理使用”来分析数字侵权。目前,人们只能通过诉讼的方式迫使美国法庭建立一套能充分解决电子侵权的法律体系。

Existing copyright laws in the US do not adequately address the concerns of digital publishers. While digital works enjoy the same copyright protections as print works, new laws and legal theories may be needed to address the unique qualities of digital works and technologies. The United States has been slow to address the issues surrounding digital infringement through legislation, changes at the US Copyright Office or through international treaties and agreements. Digital copyright infringement has primarily been addressed in the court system although even the courts utilize traditional copyright notions of ＂fair use＂ to analyze digital infringement. Digital copyright infringement cases will need to work their way through the US legal system in an effort to establish a body of law that will adequately addresses unique digital copyright infringement issues.