COPYRIGHT ISSUES AND ITS LEGAL ASPECTS IN CYBER SPACE

Cyberspace shifts as an integral part of digital world. The Information Technology Act, 2000
(Herein after mentioned as IT Act) has been successful regulating adjudicate the crimes relating
cyberspace, but the IT Act has failed to award protection to one of the most important legal
properties which arises out of the human intellect i.e., Intellectual Property (“IP”) which means
knowledge and information which has been expressed in a tangible or an intangible manner and
includes copyrights, patents, trademarks, geographical indications and integrated circuits. The
most challenging area within cyberspace is the infringement of IP and the inadequacy of the current
legal framework (inclusive of Copyright Act 1957, IT Act and Trademark Act, 1999) Since the
internet is a superhighway of information where one of the main concerns surrounding cyberspace
is the infringement of copyright, trademark, domain names and piracy of other kinds of Intellectual
Property. The main problem is the lack of sufficient legal framework since there is not much
awareness about copyright issues, trademark issues, and other violations of IP rights taking place
within the cyber domain. This article made an attempt to list out the copyright issues on cyber
domain and made an effort to enumerate loopholes in the current legal framework. It also addresses
some remedies existing in the current legal structure and the difficulty faced by courts in
international enforcement of such remedies.
COPYRIGHT