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Can i get in trouble if my boss makes me knowingly violate copyright?

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mbiafh

Junior Member
Washington. My boss has asked me to use copyr4ighted material for a client knowingly. he says the contract makes them liable for any copyright infringement and i countered that no contract can give you carte blanche to knowingly break the law. he told me i had to do it anyway. I need my job so saying no is not exactly an option (I am currently stalling), but what i wanted to know is if he requires me to do this with knowledge it is an illegal act, can i get in trouble legally?
 


LdiJ

Senior Member
Washington. My boss has asked me to use copyr4ighted material for a client knowingly. he says the contract makes them liable for any copyright infringement and i countered that no contract can give you carte blanche to knowingly break the law. he told me i had to do it anyway. I need my job so saying no is not exactly an option (I am currently stalling), but what i wanted to know is if he requires me to do this with knowledge it is an illegal act, can i get in trouble legally?
Yes, you can get into trouble for breaking the law, even if your boss orders you to do so. Is your boss the owner of the company or is there someone you can go to about this who is above him?
 

mbiafh

Junior Member
sigh. he is the boss. he and his wife co-own it. i went to his wife but she shrugged it off and said she's not worried since they are incorporated. Are yopu an entertainment lawyer by any chance?
 
If your boss tells you to vandalize a car or steal some candy, you are liable for choosing to break the law. Your boss telling you to do something doesn't get you off the hook.

Now chances are, if the copyright finds out and sues anyone, it'll be the corporation instead of you. Why sue a lowly employee instead of a corporation with the bucks? The corporation is responsible for what you do. If you decide to do what your boss is asking, make sure you keep a paper trail of evidence that this is something your boss is telling you to do.

These days good jobs are fairly scarce, and I understand needing a job bad enough to consider certain law violations, and, honestly, unless the current client will use the materials in a high-profile way, I'd probably do what the boss is asking (this isn't legal advice or advocating anything), but if it's high-profile, then no freaking way. If the job market was better and jobs like this not being shipped overseas left and right, then no way, and I'd start looking for a new job and play up my integrity in interviews.

Basically a paragraph to tell you that you're not a bad person for considering doing what you know is wrong, but shame on your boss for demanding this of you. He's wrong.

Is there any way to talk with the client yourself about this? You know, casually dropping how there's the possibility they won't be able to use the material since it contains other material that has copyrights on it?
 

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