With a rapid digitalization of information media, the philosophy and principles of the traditional copyright laws have been widely challenged. This study explores how we could deal with the copyright issues in such a rapidly changing information environment. In details, this study discusses (1) the basic philosophy and principles of copyright law from both domestic and international perspectives and (2) how the philosophy and principles should be changed to adjust itself into the rapidly changing information environment. In addition, this study identifies the copyright-related problems which might be confronted when the building and use of a full-text DB is attempted. Finally suggested are the legal methods to resolve such problems.