While the activity is generally seen as illegal, i will explore the ethical implications of software piracy and its effects in two cases. Even in countries where there are not legal measures in place for the protection of ed software, there are some compelling ethical issues that may be considered both for and against software piracy. As programmers, we, of all people, should appreciate the message bill gates outlined in his original 1976 letter better than anyone else. It is such a profitable business that it has caught the attention of organized crime groups in a number of countries. Ethical issues with the software piracy issue essay 986. The author wishes to make it clear that he neither condones nor promotes software piracy in any form, and that he encourages all software practitioners to familiarize themselves with the relevant intellectual property laws of their respective countries and to adhere to the highest level of ethics. Before advanced technology and high speed internet, software piracy was carried out by copying disks or other types of physical objects, but now almost all types of software piracy take y chu, j ma international journal of business and systems 2009 inderscience this study investigates the extent of relationships between the cultural and. Ethical issues in software piracy learn more in march 2018, the world was rocked by a facebook scandal involving cambridgeanalytica and allegations of privacy invasions that numbered in the tens of millions. Software piracy is older than the pc and has been the subject of several studies, which have found it to be a widespread phenomenon in general, and among university students in particular. A comparative analysis of four major codes, journal of business ethics, 12, 9, 709726. Ethical issues in information technology the society develops with unbelievable speed, from telegraphy, telephone, radio of 19th century to the modern 21th century, which is the age with rapid developing and growing of knowledge and information. Empirical research indicates that men and women differ in the way they perceive moral and ethical dilemmas gilligan, 1982. From personal privacy online, to the appropriate uses of new technology, to and intellectual property on the internet, the legal and ethical issues in. Because of expanding technological advancements and computer systems, there is an increase in legal, privacy, and ethical issues that are related to analytics and implementation.
Software piracy is a form of ethical issue that is hard to solve in society, especially among students of faculty of computer science university of indonesia. Sep 24, 2010 software piracy is a crime and its possible implications. However, software piracy also includes distributing software on multiple machines when a license was only purchased for one, as well as copying software. Because of the money lost to pirates, publishers have fewer resources to devote to research and development of new products, have less revenue to justify lowering software prices and are forced to pass. Software piracy is the unauthorized downloading, copying, use, or distribution of software.
Please discuss the issues of software piracy, the use of corporate computers for nonwork related purposes, and electronic surveillance. May 10, 2020 software piracy is so widespread that it exists in homes, schools, businesses and government offices. Why tech companies need a code of ethics for software. Software piracy is a term used to describe the act of illegally using, copying or distributing software without ownership or legal rights. Based on extant literature, several ethical issues such as plagiarism, hacking, viruses, data access rights, piracy, ergonomy and health issues amongst others were identified as possible ethical issues related to it. This is why big tech companies must take the lead and create their own code of ethics. On one hand, an individual may rationalize pirating software with the notion, why pay for something that i can get for free.
The ethical dilemma of software piracy in islamic societies. Under law, software piracy occurs when protected software is copied, distributed, modified or sold. Bootlegging involves the distribution of noncommercially available versions of songs, such as live concerts, outtakes, studio banter, remixes, scrapped songs, et cetera. Education combats software piracy, as users are taught about software laws, its immorality, restrictions and offense charges. The most common forms of software piracy are as follows. Software pirates attempt to make several arguments justifying their. Software piracy is a term that is frequently used to describe the copying or use of computer software in violation of its license commonly referred to as an end user licensing agreement or eula. Determinants of worldwide software piracy 128 countries. A number of empirical studies have recognized the important role that moral values play in influencing decision making.
It is illegal, increases security risks and results in economic harm such as loss of jobs and tax revenue. Significant differences are also found in the ethical decisionmaking. Introduction though it is often overlooked today in favor of its counterpart digital music protection, software content protection is an extremely serious issue, and many contend that it has the potential to stunt the growth of technology if it is mishandled. However, some researchers are unable to afford the licenses and instead procure the software illegally. The rapid rise of technology has raised a host of legal and ethical issues that are unique to the 21st century. Therefore we would say that bsa data on losses due to software piracy are a conservative estimate, the lower boundary of true, unknown losses due to software piracy.
Software piracy is considered direct infringement when it denies holders due compensation for use of their creative works. Guide to legal and ethical use of software washington. Unfortunately, in order to get our work done quickly and conveniently, some people make and use unauthorized software. They believe in the freedom of information and expression ie. Piracy and illegal copying affects the software developers, users and distributors. In this case, copies of commercial software are spread freely or sold with a ridiculously low price tag. Downloading commercial software is unethical, as it is the virtual equivalent of stealing. Instead, she described computer ethics issues as old ethical problems that are given a new twist by computer technology. The use of unlicensed software is illegal, plain and simple. Any person wishing to join the society must accept a code of ethics and professional conduct, which covers the ethical issues surrounding software piracy.
The ethical dilemma of digital file sharing piracy in the music industry nakiyah y. The decision to pirate or not may be related to an individuals attitudes toward other ethical issues. Although anti piracy laws are now firmly in place, businesses looking to cut costs may still struggle with ethics when it comes. Despite its explicit illegality in many developed countries, online piracy is still widely done by many users due to many ethical. Supreme court term, piracy was first applied to the plundering of intellectual property ip in the mid17th. Stealing a physical object can be a moral dilemma for many people because it deprives an. Piracy is the unauthorized distribution, theft, reproduction, copying, performance, storage, sale or other use of intellectual property ip protected under law. It managers face ethical issues from piracy to privacy. Nov 12, 20 technology in the global arena presentation software piracy. Yet there is a subtle difference between piracy and bootlegging. Nov 28, 2014 a animated video informing of software piracy created using powtoon free sign up at create animated videos and animated p. According to the business software alliance bsa, about 36% of all software in current use is stolen. As one of those ethical issues, software piracy has become a common activity particularly among college students who have been little deterred by industrial legal.
Student attitudes on software piracy and related issues of. Software piracy is the stealing of legally protected software. An earlier study by cohen and cornwell from a decade ago is replicated, adding. Piracy involves numerous factors that affect the pricing and financial health of legitimate corporations. The infringement of software, or software piracy, is illegal in many countries. This piece will mention a number of key ethical issues in software development and then well consider some strategies for dealing with these issues. Part of the ethics and political philosophy commons, ethics in. Piracy is the theft of intellectual property and is no more acceptable than shoplifting. Some think that there is nothing wrong with software piracy. Software and media copying piracy a person who copies cds, does not pay for shareware, or shares mp3 files or software with friends is stealing property. According to hospers, an action that is likely to maximize total happiness should be embraced at all times.
Ethical issues in software piracy in march 2018, the world was rocked by a facebook scandal involving cambridgeanalytica and allegations of privacy invasions that numbered in the tens of millions. We discuss the prohibition of software piracy by intellectual property laws, and argue that the moral basis for the law offers the possibility of cases where software piracy may be morally justified. Software piracy is a serious issue that has been affecting software companies for decades. People suddenly had a way to obtain software for free, and initially the law struggled to keep up. The utilitarian theory does not work in solving this ethical dilemma. Such instances bring the dilemma as to whether the practice of software piracy is ethical.
The ethical dilemma of piracy in the music industry prezi. According to the results of the survey, 57% of global pc users pirate software in 2012. Because software development proceeds at such a rate, there are many ethical issues, some more complicated than others, that arise over time. Allowing software piracy to prevail is likely to maximize peoples happiness. Types of software piracy stanford computer science. A guide to the ethical and legal use of software for members of the academic community.
The software piracy has touched the 43% mark globally, as stated by the 7th study of global software piracy. For users, it poses an increased risk for the spreading of viruses, lack of customer support, which means users cannot use the program to its full potential, no warranty, less reliable, and moral issues such as criminal charges, fines, or prosecution. The unauthorized distribution of ed music files as come to be known as piracy. To better understand piracy, we propose a model of ethical decision making that is an adaptation of the fourcomponent model of morality. Based on writer observation in campus, students are still using pirated software, including using, duplicating, and distributing it to their friends. The majority of software today is purchased as a singleuser license, meaning that only one computer may have that software installed on it at one time. Jeff biron the software industry has to deal with the threat of piracy and its impact of their business. Software piracy is the unauthorised copying or distribution of ed software. The research model was tested via path analysis using structural equation modeling and was found to be appropriate for the sample data. A questionnaire will be used to provide prediscussion thoughts about software acquisition.
Computer and information ethics stanford encyclopedia of. While this person might never consider shoplifting or burglary, there really is no moral, ethical or economic difference between the theft of intellectual property and that of physical property. Dec 06, 2015 as part of the scheme, one of the six defendants, 41yearold maryland man reza davachi, used a nonprofit business called project contact africa, which sold both his own and rosss pirated. Technology in the global arena presentation software piracy. It can cause harm to the users computer and legally speaking, it is against the law. However, legal education may not draw students into an ethical dilemma. By removing revenue from the developers, jobs are lost and there is less incentive to create new software. We call it global, webbased platform, this platform enables people to. Similarly, others may believe that information, no matter the type, is intended to be shared if. First, that of the pirate that seeks to sell their pirated software, and the second case of pirated software obtained freely. The ethics codes that scientific institutions abide by are informed by a ruleconsequentialist logic. Software piracy costs the software industry billions of dollars each year. What is the differente between ethical issue and dilemma. View of software piracy and ethical decision making behavior of.
If ethics in information technology wasnt a hot topic before, it became an explosive one after. Johnsons book computer ethics was the first major textbook in the field, and it quickly became the primary text used in computer ethics courses offered at universities in englishspeaking countries. According to the business software alliance bsa, an international association representing. Downloading and using software without paying for it is a common tactic of pirated software users. The business software alliance released a report discussing the impact of software piracy. An ethical decision making model was studied for general unethical scenarios and for the unethical behavior of software piracy. It is important to understand consumers ethical response to software piracy in the. Ethical issues with the software piracy issue free essays. Oct 30, 2012 software piracy is the stealing of legally protected software. This paper briefly describes some of the challenges faced by the recording industry, and examines some of the ethical issues that arise in various industry. Software piracy is the illegal distribution andor reproduction of adobe software applications or fonts for business or personal use. Software enables us to accomplish many different tasks with computers. Ethical issues with the software piracy issue essay 986 words. One of the largest impacts technology had on business ethics was felt when peertopeer file sharing came on the scene.
Computer ethics deals with moral responsibility of what is wrong and right. The illegality of software piracy is the focus of the suggestion that to buy or not to buy pirated software is an ethical judgment. For example, internet has been used widely everywhere in the world. Combating software piracy in order to decrease the occurrence of software piracy several actions can be taken such as education, public policy, enforcement, and security. Web sites often load files on your computer called cookies to record times and pages visited and other personal information spyware software that tracks your online movements. The unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, or transmission of ed material. Ethical issues there are many ethical dilemmas associated.
Researchers in virtually every discipline rely on sophisticated proprietary software for their work. Consequences of software piracy the losses suffered as a result of software piracy directly affect the profitability of the software industry. Ethical issues in the music industry 165 present evidence supporting the notion that exposure to music piracy actually played a role in pushing record labels. If one is caught, it can lead to heavy penalty, criminal prosecution, fines andor a few years in jail. Software pirates attempt to make several arguments justifying their actions. As one of those ethical issues, software piracy has become a common activity particularly among college students who have been little deterred by industrial legal actions. The objectives of this activity are to provide a means for students to examine their attitudes perceptions and behavior actions as they relate to software piracy and to explore ethical guidelines provided by businesses for their employees. Software piracy, which is the unauthorized use or copying of software illegally, has become a major problem for businesses and it is widespread in many parts of the world which led to drain of economy. Online piracy and the distribution of ed music files. It has been estimated based on bsa by 2009 that more than 90% of. Software piracy is a crime and infringement laws make no distinction between one or 100 illegally copied cds or the unauthorized sale of software installation files. Intentional software piracy this is the wellknown kind that prospered blank cd makers and caused countries like france to tax recordable media because it was easier than fighting the pirates.
Ethics issues software piracy, an example from engineering ethics class by by jim anderson, takes a look at the responsibiity of. The internet and the web most people dont worry about email privacy on the web due to illusion of anonymity each email you send results in at least 3 or 4 copies being stored on different computers. The current conflict between the recording industry and a portion of its customers who are involved in illicit copying of music files arose from innovations involving the compression and electronic distribution of files over the internet. This model defines four internal processes that result in external moral behavior. Software companies have direct losses due to illegal distribution and use of their products, which reducing re. Individuals are faced with the many opportunities to pirate. Considerations in ethical decisionmaking and software piracy article in journal of business ethics 291. Considerations in ethical decisionmaking and software piracy. We discuss the prohibition of software piracy by intellectual property laws, and argue that the moral basis for the law offers the possibility of cases where software piracy may be. Other arguments that say using pirated software is morally wrong include the. Nov 19, 2012 software piracy is a form of ethical issue that is hard to solve in society, especially among students of faculty of computer science university of indonesia. According to the results of the survey, 57% of global pc users pirate software. Interestingly, not only the concept, but also the term itself, is highly controversial. Ethical issues there are many ethical dilemmas associated with software piracy, but the ethical perspectives of individuals regarding software piracy vary tremendously.
Ethics in software piracy case study by venu yankarla on. Software piracy affects everyone and illegal and improperly used software hurts the economy in general, the software industry in particular. This can be done by copying, downloading, sharing, selling, or installing multiple copies onto personal or work computers. The principle behind piracy has predated the creation of the internet, but its online popularity arose alongside the internet. A animated video informing of software piracy created using powtoon free sign up at create animated videos and animated p. Ethics in software piracy case study by venu yankarla on prezi. The software development and deployment process in the internet era has some peculiarities that make the ethical issues for software engineers even more acute in some ways than for other types of engineers. Abiding by a code of ethics puts product teams in a better position to deliver amazing software. Ethical issues of software piracy ethics in computing. Because of expanding technological advancements and.
From warez shopping malls in asia, to the unscrupulous computer systems retailers a few blocks down the street, pirated programs are sold for a pittance. It seems that illegal software is available anywhere, to anyone, at any time. Piracy denies the fair payment back to their developers, which in long run can shut doors and hamper the amazing world of the blooming information. Hamrick, kyle, the moral implications of software piracy 2016. This definition may sound simple, but its impact and affects are anything but simple. Online piracy is the practice of downloading and distributing ed content digitally without permission, such as music or software. Pdf software piracy in the muslim countries is a prevailing issue.
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