Copyright: Understanding It From a Christian Perspective

Technology challenges many aspects of our lives, and it creates a new level of temptation in terms of obedience to God’s law against stealing.

What is copyright? Copyright simply means the “right to copy.” It comes under the label of intellectual property, which refers to a creation of the mind. By law, the author, composer or artist owns the copyright to his or her creation and is the only one who can decide on its use.

Another term—public domain—can refer to creative materials that are free of copyright protection. Some predate the copyright laws, and others have been released to the general public by the owner or have become public domain after the copyright term expired.

The law and copyright are not new

The founding fathers of the United States, in recognizing the value of inventions and creativity to the economy, included copyright protection in Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

It reads that Congress has the power: “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” This provision is the foundation of U.S. laws governing copyright.

Creativity is vital to the economy, but today its protections are under attack.

The plight of artists in this high-tech age

Copyright protections were defined long before the onslaught of copying devices arrived to challenge the very foundations of honesty.

One estimate states that “only” one-third of Internet users infringe on copyright (The Register, July 13, 2012). In March 2012 there were 2,279,709,120 worldwide Internet users, over 273 million of them in North America. That means that over 90 million people in the United States may be routinely stealing intellectual property (statistics from the World Internet User Statistics).

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reports that 65 percent of the music in the United States is obtained for free, and only 35 percent is paid for. Of the “free” music, 70 percent is obtained offline, which means users get it from their friends. The good news is that as some companies innovate better ways to distribute and charge for music, it appears that more customers are indeed willing to pay.

With the temptations as prevalent as they are, what guidelines should Christians follow and teach to their children?

God’s law on stealing and landmarks

The Eighth of the 10 Commandments tells us: “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). And the 10th tells us that we are not to covet anything that is our neighbor’s (Exodus 20:17).

Traditional stealing—such as robbing a bank or home—poses a level of personal risk that serves as its own deterrent. But it’s not so with intellectual property, which may seem harmless or “safe” to take.

Oftentimes individuals will rationalize that if they aren’t making money by copying, using or altering material without permission, then it doesn’t break the law, but that is not so. The infraction can be committed whether money is exchanged or not. For example, if something is for sale and you take it without paying for it, that is stealing.

Perhaps copyright can be better understood when compared to God’s laws regarding landmarks. Ancient landmarks were a vital part of preserving a person’s livelihood. As long as someone had land, they had a place to live and the potential to grow food. Even if food was not visibly being grown on the land, the potential was there, just as it is with copyrights.

God’s laws on landmarks, and the curse pronounced for removing them, are explained in Deuteronomy 27:17 and 19:14, and referenced in Proverbs 22:28 and 23:10. Job 24:2-8 broadens the picture, expanding the removing of landmarks to any act that diminishes the livelihood of others.

What is “fair use”?

There is a complicated and continually evolving area of copyright law regarding what is “fair use”—what someone is allowed to use without paying. Generally this is limited to criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.

Usually fair use pertains to minor excerpting of material. When in doubt, the Copyright office advises, you should get permission, consult an attorney or avoid using the material.

Raising the bar on landmarks and integrity

Copyright laws are a government’s attempt to interpret “what is stealing?” in the area of intellectual property. Even if human statutes are complex and/or imperfect, the principles of Romans 13 certainly apply, and Christians will strive to understand and honor the laws of the land.

Jesus made it clear in application to His commandments that getting caught is not the measure He is looking for in establishing guilt (Matthew 5:28).

Since coveting is an act of the mind, that is where it must be stopped. In short, the unpaid-for or unauthorized use or sharing of copyrighted materials should be rejected. And fair use should be carefully considered and applied with the highest principles in mind, considering the Golden Rule of treating others as we would have them treat us.

Nancy Diraison is an East Texas member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. Writing everything from music to blogs is her favorite occupation!