A person who does something with a copyrighted work that only the copyright owner is entitled to do, and does so without the permission of the copyright owner of that work, infringes the copyright of the owner.
Civil and criminal penalties can be imposed for copyright infringement. Criminal sanctions can include fines and/or imprisonment and depend on the seriousness of the infringement. Civil sanctions include an order to pay damages and an injunction to prevent continued infringement.
Criminal penalties are usually reserved for those engaged in piracy for profit. Civil sanctions are the most common form of penalty for copyright infringement.
It is therefore important to ensure you understand your rights and obligations under copyright law.
