Secondary copyright infringement

Direct participation in infringing activity is not required for copyright infringement liability. The Copyright Act grants to copyright owners not only the right to exercise the exclusive rights under Section 106, but also the right "to authorize" the exercise of those rights. The inclusion of the right "to authorize" was "intended to avoid any questions as to the liability of contributory infringers" &mdash; those who do not directly exercise the copyright owner's rights, but "authorize" others to do so. Other than the reference to a copyright owner's right "to authorize" the exercise of the exclusive rights, however, the Copyright Act does not mention or define "contributory infringement" or "vicarious liability" &mdash; the standards for which have developed through case law.