Contributing to copyright infringement

01-10-2011

Michael Factor

The Israel Labour Party subsidises a student society at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Mount Scopus Campus.

The society offered students pirate copies of course textbook Traditional Japan as an incentive to get them involved.

Bootleg copies were titled Readings and sold for 10 Israeli shekels ($3), whereas Shocken Publishing House’s official version retailed at 89 Israeli shekels ($26). Shocken sued Readings’ publisher-distributor, Yaakov Cohen, the Labour Party and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for copyright infringement.

The district court applied a new judicial doctrine of contributory infringement to copyright law, so the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Labour Party could be sued.


copyright infringement, Israel

WIPR