Editing Copynorms (section)

== Real life examples ==
=== P2P impact ===
In the late 1990s and early in the 2000s, [[peer-to-peer filesharing]] over the [[Internet]] became increasingly popular.  The first P2P program to receive widespread attention in the media and popular consciousness was [[Napster]].  Napster was shut down by an injunction issued by the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of California]], which resulted in a variety of other P2P programs ([[Gnutella]], [[Bearshare]], [[Kazaa]], etc.) gaining popularity.  Another significant use of P2P programs is the distribution of MP3 files created by ripping copyrighted music from commercial [[Compact disc|CDs]].  The use of P2P to distribute digital copies of [[Digital Versatile Disc|DVD]] has also grown in popularity.

There is considerable controversy over the application of the copyright laws to individual, noncommercial use of P2P programs to distribute MP3 files, but judicial opinion, so far, has sided with the music industry and held that an individual who copies and distributes an MP3 file containing copyrighted music violates federal copyright law.  Nonetheless, the use of P2P to share and download copyrighted music is generally considered socially acceptable.  Survey research supports this conclusion{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}}, as does the popularity of P2P programs.

=== Other cases ===
Although P2P has been the focal point in discussions of copynorms, the phenomenon is more general in scope.  Some other contexts in which copynorms diverge from [[United States copyright law]] include the following:
*Videotape recording of copyrighted broadcast and cable television content for archival (as opposed to time shifting) use,
*Systematic photocopying of books and journal articles for academic and business use,
*Audiotape recording of live music concerts,
*The use of copyrighted digital images ([[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]], [[JPEG]], etc.) on personal websites.

To varying degrees, in each of these cases, copying that violates the law is socially acceptable.  [[Anecdotal evidence]] suggests that illegal archiving of television programs is widely regarded as socially acceptable, and it is doubtful that many users of home Video Cassette Recorders (VCRs) are aware that this activity is unlawful in some countries.