It’s 2012. Does anyone still care about copyright?

Unless you were living in a cave last week, you know the answer to this question. Regardless of your view of the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) or Protect IP Act (PIPA), it is clear that most people instinctively believe that content creators have a right to monetize their work.  There is a general consensus that piracy is wrong.   The real debate is about how to make acts of piracy rare outliers without inhibiting the viral flow of content across the internet.

Everyone wants his or her ideas and creations heard, promoted in some way large or small, and to receive proper reward for unique expression. It shouldn’t matter whether the creator is a big movie studio with billions invested in blockbuster movies or an individual blogger typing away in a bedroom. The power of the network makes it possible for even the smallest voice to have a wide audience. A wide audience and a unique creation can bring profit as well as pirates. It’s that way in the physical world as well as the digital world.

Since the overwhelming majority of people agree that content creators should be rewarded for their work, allowing people to easily “do the right thing” is the greatest anti-piracy formula of all. iCopyright is dedicated to enabling content owners (whether large or small) and content users to transact easily, instantly, and economically. With iCopyright, digital publishers can promote the viral distribution of their articles while still getting compensated wherever the articles travel.

The primary barrier to addressing piracy for articles on the web is not inadequate regulation or technology -- it is the inconsistent approach most publishers take to the distribution and monetization of their content. Many publishers unwittingly encourage infringement and suggest that their content is free for the taking. You can’t profit from your creations if you don’t set consistent expectations and make compliance easy.

Whatever becomes of SOPA and PIPA, we’re delighted to witness an enhanced awareness of copyright and piracy. If you are a publisher of articles, the technology already exists to promote, protect, and profit from your content – just visit www.icopyright.com.  Publishers of all sizes should take advantage of this moment in time to assess how their websites promote their rights and make it easy for users to reward them for their creations.