Copyright infringement on the Internet--an international problem

An analysis of current U.S. copyright laws and international intellectual property agreements (i.e., the Berne Convention, the GATT, the NAFTA, and the Rome Convention) reveals their limitations in preventing copyright abuses on the Internet. This analysis shows a need for respective governmental bodies to update legislation concerning copyright abuses on bulletin board services, newsgroups, the World Wide Web, and e-mail. Consequently, amendments to these international agreements are proposed. In addition, a technological solution is proposed that places the responsibility of copyright protection on Internet publishers. This solution also addresses these publishers' needs for various levels of confidentiality.