According to Black’s Law Dictionary, an infringement is an act that interferes with one of the exclusive rights of an intellectual property right owner.  Specifically, in the field of copyright and related rights, infringement is an act carried out in respect of a work protected by copyright or an object of related rights without authorization of the owner of the copyright or related rights concerned where such authorization is required.  The liability for infringement may exist not only on the basis of direct liability (for the performance of the unauthorized act in itself), but also on the basis of “contributory liability” or “vicarious liability.”