How Can I Make Amends For Copyright Infringement As A Muslim?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I shared photos of book pages online without realizing they were copyrighted. Do I need to repay only for my use or also for what I shared? Do I also owe for movies or clips from illegal sources? How can I make amends?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
You are potentially liable for a penalty, but only if you admit to the owners and they pursue it further by requiring you to pay. Leave the matter as it is and avoid any future infringements by consulting copyright laws.
Please read this answer about illegal downloading.
Intellectual Property is a Legally Recognized Right
Intellectual property is a legally recognized right of the respective authors or inventors. This is the conclusion of many individuals, senior contemporary jurists, and various fiqh academies from across the Muslim world. Accordingly, it isn’t permissible to infringe or violate it, especially when it contravenes the laws of the land, and doing so would constitute a form of theft. [‘Usmani, Fiqh al-Buyu‘; Buhuth Fi Qadaya Fiqhiyya Mu‘asara]
I would like you to read through the valuable answers and links below. Insha’Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Currently, he resides in the UK with his wife and is interested in reading and gardening.
