EMPLOYER LIABILITY FOR EMPLOYEE USE OF PEER-TO-PEER TECHNOLOGY

摘要

An employer's vicarious liability for the acts of an employee is a long-established legal concept. Most employers understand that, if an employee commits wrongful acts in the course of his or her employment, then the employer bears legal responsibility for the consequences of these acts. It may come as a surprise to employers, however, that such wrongful acts can take place at the employee's desk or cubicle with no apparent evidence of wrongdoing. An employee busily editing a company report or updating a spreadsheet while listening to music over headphones plugged into his or her laptop may be setting the company up for a six or seven figure copyright judgment.