Employer doesn't care about copyright

[scurrie]

I just wanted to get someone's thoughts on this. I am a multimedia producer. I work on a training system for a government organization. I produce my own original work for them. The problem is that I am constantly arguing with my bosses about copyright infringement because they ask me to copy other videos and manuals for them and use copyrighted music in some of our productions. I know I can't copy these things without permission to do so, but my bosses tell me I'm misinformed because they're not planning on selling any of it, and they keep arguing with me and telling me I don't have to worry about it. I keep explaining the law, but they don't listen. I don't want to put my job in jeopardy by refusing to do what they ask me to do, but I don't want to be copying these things when I know it's illegal. I know they are fed up with my "copyright rants" but I'm getting very frustrated and don't know how to get the point across to them.

My question is: Will I be the one held legally responsible for copyright infringement or will it be the organization I work for when they are the ones telling me to do it?

Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[crazie4life]

i don't think it's copyright infringement useless you actually copy and sell someone's else's work for your own profit. If you really wanted to be legal about it, read copyright rules and if you are still uncertain about it, protect yourself by having your bosses sign a paper saying they will take responsibility for it and they should do so if they know that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing. That's my opinion anyway.

 

[scurrie]

Thanks for your opinion crazie4life, but the thing is I already know it's copyright infringement and whether you are making a profit off it or not... it's still illegal! People get away with it all the time, but that doesn't mean it's legal. I could make a million copies of movies and give them all away... since I'm not making a profit do you think it's ok? Is that what you're saying?

It's not like I'm copying something for the privacy of my own home. I'm working for a large organization that doesn't want to listen to me when I tell them the things they are asking me to do are illegal. Copyright is something I have to be conscious of all the time with the kind of work I do. Would you want to go to work every day and do illegal things? I should be in business for myself if that's the case.

 

[crazie4life]

I'm not saying it's right at all! I'm just saying that i know that selling it and calling it your own is illegal. If you ask the people permission and give them credit for it, it's not. And if they don't care about it so much, they wouldn't mind signing a paper saying they take responsibility, just to set your mind at ease.