Copyright law is different across the globe but the primary premise is to protect creative rights and control how intellectual property is shared. Copyright law in the United States protects authors’ rights 70 years past the date of death. Watermarks in headers control and monitor how files are shared and opened. These laws and policies are restrictive and prohibit the transfer of knowledge.

Copyright supports artists’ profit margin, allowing them to make money and control how their creation is used and shared. However, it limits how and when the public can access information. Google successfully created an online database of literature that is accessible to the public through Web 2.0. The authors objected to the project. but lost the lawsuit, the project was permitted by copyright’s fair use guidelines. Today we have access to a number of books at no cost from any device connected to Web 2.0.

Digital literature is growing in market share and sales over traditional book purchases. Programs such as Overdrive support users’ access to many ebooks. There are many devices that support readers’ use of online reading and ebooks. To combat the ease of sharing, digital lock protects how digital literature is shared, monitored. These locks protect profits and illegally downloading and reading material outside of the policies and procedures.

Similarly, to how a physical book is checked out at a library, even though ebooks are digital there are only a certain number of licences available through online libraries. Each loan is monitored by the loan system, so when the loan period is over the book is automatically returned and loaned to the next individual who has reserved the book. Again, these systems support the author’s profit and creative rights. Ensure each copy of the book is paid for.

Policies and procedures support authors but inhibit sharing and public access to information. Digital rights management (DRM) can restrict content to research and prohibit the transfer of knowledge. When governments fund research the results should be made public. It is ultimately public funding that compensates the authors and researchers to create these materials. Copyright law continue to protect and compensate these writers for their work, even after the public has paid them for their work. I understand the need to monitor and control the use and sharing of information to ensure that authors are compensated for their work. However, what restrictions limit publishers, libraries and e-book vendors.