In academia in particular, copyright is considered important. Putting one's name before a work one has authored is the norm, alongside the copyright symbol. In the West, all authored works are by default copyrighted. Nevertheless, the issue of copyright is somewhat alien to many "Eastern" cultures, where piracy runs rampent and no credit is given to the original author. Besides the issue of earning praise and perhaps money by copyright, are there more important, even biblical, reasons for having and respecting copyright?
When an item or work is copyrighted, the work as it stands is attributed to the author. The author owns the work as it stands. Thus, anyone can engage with or criticize the work. In other words, the author can be held accountable for what was written. Consider what happens when copyright is not respected. Anyone can falsely appropriate the work of another and get praise for it, or anyone can alter the work and malign the original author. In either case, accountability cannot be done. Intellectual discussion is also stunted because it is impossible to engage with the work of another in light of his other works.
What commands are violated when copyright is not respected? If one appropriates the work of another without attribution, that is intellectual theft and it violates the commandment against stealing. This, and altering the work with the author's name still present, bears false witness against the author. If the author depends on his intellectual output for his living, then that might also be a form of robbery. In a society where intellectual property is not respected, intellectual thought will not progress, for how many scholars are there who will work for free? How will they support themselves and their families if all they produce is stolen by others? Is it any wonder that Eastern societies are not really known for intellectual progress, and mostly depend on the West for such products?
Copyright is therefore important. Putting one's name in one's work is likewise important. Until certain societies will honor and respect intellectual property, their progress will be parasitic on others for growth.
