1846

Copyright Law—Protection of Intellectual Property

In the past decade, the criminal law has assumed greater significance in the protection of intellectual property, both in the United States and internationally. The criminal law complements and supplements the existing civil remedies for copyright infringement. It complements these remedies by providing criminal penalties for certain egregious acts of copyright infringement. It supplements private civil remedies by prohibiting conduct which, although perhaps not civilly actionable, may otherwise undermine the integrity of the copyright system. The following sections outline these provisions. [cited in USAM 9-71.001]