Intellectual Property

Consider the following:

The law attempts to balance individual rights with the rights of society. Two areas in which this conflict is particularly challenging are intellectual property rights as they relate to online materials and the new kinds of surveillance that digital media enable.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper on whether you think the law has achieved an appropriate balance in protecting conflicting rights regarding copyright protection and digital surveillance.

Address the following points in your paper:

• The ease of copying and sharing materials on the Internet and its effect on copyright
• The influence of the open-source movement on attitudes toward copyright
• The relationship between creativity and innovation with intellectual property rights
• The personal and professional effects of digital surveillance versus organizational needs for information and control, such as employer monitoring of employee computer use, business monitoring of customers’ Internet behavior, government monitoring of citizens, and so on
• Whether foreseeable changes in copyright protection and digital surveillance will improve or impair the balance in the future

Cite at least two peer-reviewed sources to support your work.