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General security Don't use public or shared computers for online banking or investment transactions. Don't give out your account password to anyone, even someone claiming to be from your online service. Your account can be hijacked, and you can find unexpected charges on your bill. Be careful about giving out your credit card number, phone number and home address. Never provide your Social Security number to anyone unless required by law. Email is relatively private -- but not completely. Don't put anything into an electronic message that you wouldn't want to see posted on a neighborhood bulletin board. Delete junk email without even reading it. Never download an email attachment from an unknown source. Opening a file could expose your system to a virus. Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer's security. Don't "unsubscribe" on unwanted, un-requested or unsolicited e-mail. That just lets the senders know that they had reached a valid email address. Don't sign up for free offers. Shopping online Know who you're dealing with. Confirm the online seller's physical address and phone number in case you have problems. Know what you're buying. Read the seller's description of the product closely, especially the fine print. Name-brand items at unusually low prices might be stolen or counterfeit. Know what it will cost, including shipping and handling. Never send cash. Pay by credit or charge card. If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, you have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them. Check out the terms of the deal, like refund policies and delivery dates. A Federal Trade Commission rule requires sellers to ship items as promised or within 30 days after the order date if no specific date is promised. Phishing and identity theft You may receive emails that appear to be from a financial institution, bill paying service, government agency or other business that say something like: "We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity." Do not reply, and do not click on the links. The messages direct you to a website that looks legitimate, but it is a trick to get you to reveal personal information and passwords. Operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name. Forward these emails to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the email. Most organizations have information on their websites about where to report problems. Email is not a secure method of transmitting information, so never use it to transmit financial information. Legitimate businesses should not ask you to send sensitive information by email. Area codes can mislead. Some scammers send an email that appears to be from a legitimate business and ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a "refund." Because they use voice over internet protocol technology, the area code you call does not reflect where the scammers really are. Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges.

Copyright Infringement means using the original piece without the permission of the copyright holder, as such or in parts (without attributing the part to the owner). According to the US copyright laws, one can face heavy penalties in cases of copyright infringement. The infringement may also lead to a jail term or a penalty followed by a jail term.

Princeton University Press v. Michigan Document Services (1996) Michigan Document Services was involved in creating packages of study material for the students of the University. A professor supplied the course material and Michigan Document services, a photocopying organization, took photocopies of the material and converted it into a booklet for sale to students at the University. There was a clause of "Fair use" in this case. The photocopying company could have paid a nominal fee to the University and then used the material. This was available to anyone who wished to use the material. However, the photocopying company paid for only the original and then started making photocopies of the study material. The court considered that it was not "fair use" and penalized the photocopying company. A & M Records vs. Napster (2001) This is one of the most famous cases of copyright infringement related to the music industry. As peer to peer file sharing increased, Napster started a website. This website offered downloads of songs of all genre – new and old. You may know someone who used it. A & M Records brought in a joint copyright infringement case which accused Napster of stealing music and making it available to people worldwide. Before closing the site in 2002, Napster had to settle USD26 million to different recording companies and songwriters. It could have even more if Napster had not apologized and folded the site. Several websites still thrive on offering free music to people who can download it at no cost. As mentioned in our article on "Internet Ethics and Copyright Laws", the music industry faces most copyright infringement cases. The Napster case, though an example of the consequences, still does not act as a deterrent for other music websites that offer free music downloads. We hope these famous copyright infringement cases have clarified what is considered copyright violation to some extent. If you still have any questions, please free to contact us using the comments facility.