Criminal Copyright Infringement and a Step Beyond: 17 U.S.C. § 506 (1976)

I. Introduction II. The Language and Intent of Section 506 … A. The Ancestry of Section 506: 1909–1974 … B. Section 506 … C. Criminal Infringement Changes: Sections 104 to 506(a) … 1. For Purposes of Commercial Advantage or Private Financial Gain … 2. Aiders or Abettors … 3. Penalties … a. Fines … b. Incarceration … 4. The Choral Performances Exemption … 5. Increased Penalties for Motion Picture Infringement … 6. Sound Recording and Motion Picture Copyright Rights Protected by Section 506(a) … D. Section 506(b)—Forfeiture and Destruction III. State Criminal Provisions IV. Criminal and Civil Copyright Infringement … A. The Elements of an Action under Section 506(a) … 1. An Infringement … 2. Willful Intent … 3. For Purposes of Commercial Advantage or Private Financial Gain … B. Effect of a Criminal Infringement Conviction in a Subsequent Civil Suit … 1. General Requirements for Collateral Estoppel Effect … 2. Traditional Difficulties in Invoking Collateral Estoppel from Criminal to Civil Actions … a. The Doctrine of Mutuality … b. Differing Standards of Proof … 3. Collateral Estoppel and Copyright … 4. Difficulties in Invoking Collateral Estoppel in Copyright … a. Shifting Burdens … b. The Unpredictability of Collateral Estoppel Application … c. Statute of Limitations V. Conclusion