|
Bismillahi Al-Rahmani Al-Rahim
Copyright Law
Q
Are Muslims required to abide by copyright
laws?
A
al-salamu `alaykum
Yes, Muslims are required to abide by copyright laws. Two very basic
reasons for this include that
- (1) Muslims who live in amnesty in countries which are not
government by the Shari`a are required to abide by the Shari`a and
the local laws which do not negate the Shari`a.
- (2) The copyright law placed at the beginning of a book or
other work is similar to a condition stated in a contract. This
condition is valid because it does not negate the purchase and is
actually conducive to the sale itself. Given the widespread use of
copyright declaration, we should consider all works to be
protected by copyright unless declared otherwise.
This has been covered extensively in several fatawa on the Hanafi
list written by Sheikh Taqi `Uthmani. Please see these messages on
the Hanafi group for a detailed explanation.
And Allah knows best.
wa al-salamu `alaykum
--musa
|