&gt; Nevertheless, there may be arguments for contributory and&#x2F;or indirect copyright infringement in many jurisdictions<p>In the United States there are two kinds of indirect infringement: contributory infringement and vicarious infringement.<p>Contributory infringement can occur when you know that someone else is or will directly infringe, and you substantially aid that by inducing, causing, or materially aiding their direct infringement. That can include providing the tools and equipment they use to infringe.<p>Vicarious infringement can occur when someone who is a direct infringer is your agent or under your control.<p>A very important aspect of both of these types of indirect infringement is that they make you liable for the direct infringement of someone else. If there is no someone else who is a direct infringer, then you cannot possibly be a contributory or vicarious infringer.