The Ethics Of Software Piracy - Research Paper Example

Software Piracy This paper presents a comprehensive overview of software piracy and issues that take place as a result of this act. Software piracy is not a new term for the people who work on computers to carry out their tasks. In this scenario, they install different kind of software applications and tools to perform specific tasks. In some cases they install these tools and applications illegally without the permission from their owners. This situation refers to the software piracy. Software piracy is not only an unethical issue but also a serious crime. This aim of this research is to analyze software piracy issues and the conditions under which this crime takes place. Introduction Software piracy is a process of the illegal replication of applications and software. Additionally, the software piracy is known as pessimistically influencing the users by raising prices as well as minimizing finances for exploration and advancements of upcoming inventions of software. At the present, software piracy has become a well known term and is getting augmented attention of software development firms. In view of the fact that majority of software is utilized with exclusive rights as well as created by other corporations can be used with some limitations (such as duration of software use, license period). In this scenario, software development businesses are implementing severe restrictions along with copyright rules and regulations against such types of the prohibited actions. However, all these measures are not enough. There is a dire need for more enhanced actions and methods for restricting such types of activities (Online Ethics Center for Engineering; BizOffice). This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of software piracy as an unethical issue in IT field. This paper also outlines the typical reasons that people use to justify their piracy activities. Software Piracy The illegal duplication of computer software is known is software piracy. Though majority of computer users at present know that unauthorized utilization and replication of software is unlawful and unethical, but many of them demonstrate a general disrespect for the significance of considering software as precious intellectual possessions. In this regard, national copyright rules as well as regulations are used to secure the computer software. These rules define that users are not authorized to create a copy of particular software for some other cause than as an archival support without authorization of the copyright owner (archive support means data or information developed through those software such as docs files are developed by MS Word but we can make as many copies of docs files and store them). On the other hand, the illegal replica of computer software can also be recognized as theft. In this regard, in 1990, the PC software business faced a loss of $2.4 billion in the US only as well as more than $10 billion globally, from some comprehensive approximations by the Software Publishers Association. In fact, computer software piracy is not same as copying other media that is recorded, like that compact disks as well as videotapes, for the reason that there is no deprivation in the value of the copy produced. Additionally, the computer business is the only business that allows the customer to become a developer’s assistant. In this scenario, customer plays an important role in the development of that software. A software application copied again and again will work accurately similar to the genuine. However, the actual software which took years to be built can be duplicated or copied in a fraction of seconds. Though software is costly to build up, however some low cost Personal Computer can be employed to produce an inexpensive copy of the software (BizOffice; Kayne; Safe-Net). Therefore software piracy is considered as a most serious unethical issue and requires extensive attentions along with public awareness for protection of the intellectual property. Types of Software Piracy There are different types of software piracy which can be dissimilar from each other based on the way and means they are used. Below is a very brief overview of such types of piracy: (FileMaker, Inc.; Safe-Net; Parker) Counterfeiting Counterfeiting is about the production of illegal copies of software and selling them. CD-R piracy This type of software piracy is about selling illegal software programs those are copied by means of CD-R recording tools. Softlifting This type of software piracy is very common nowadays. Here a user pays for a single copy of software but uses it on numerous systems, typically it is contravention of established copyrights conformity. Unrestricted client access This type of software piracy is about the individual who copies a software program on some corporate server machines as well as the corporate network and allows diverse users to profusely access and use the software. Hard-disk loading Another very common type of software piracy that involves the company or some individual who is going to sell a computer having illegal copy of operating system and application software installed in it. OEM piracy/unbundling This type refers to the situation when common software with some system is traded alone from that particular hardware. Internet piracy In this type of software piracy some authorized and copyright based applications are placed for the sale at the web. Main Vulnerabilities Computer software piracy appears in a lot of varieties. In a scenario, hard disk loading happens when computer sellers or professionals produce illegal replica of particular software on the hard-disks of PC, frequently as an encouragement for the client to buy system from that specific individual. In this scenario, BBS (Electronic bulletin board services) can present the unlawful prospects to download such types of duplicated or copied software by means of a modem device linked to a telephone. At last, there is also a widespread procedure of copying software inside corporations, for utilization in the workplace or house, or "distributing" software between diverse friends. In addition, small business people can copy one piece of computer software to smart costs. One more type of users can experience that "everybody too is performing it" and they do not desire to be prominent. Lastly there are the persons who consider that piracy is not harmful to the others or is not actually theft. But, in actual fact, such types of concepts are incorrect (BizOffice; Kayne). Piracy Laws In US, piracy acts or laws permit for up to $250,000 US Dollars (USD) in penalties and 5 years jail. There are also various national punishments that are able to run into thousands of United States dollars, still if anybody did not accuse for the duplicates. Unluckily, implementing piracy laws is extremely hard. In addition, the internet is also a big source of piracy for instance; it can allow duplication of content of a website. On the other hand, every nation has a little diverse piracy rules. To correctly implement copyright securities, we would require to be acquainted with what state the proprietor of the software dealing out the illegal copy was from and the place of the person unlawfully using the software copy. In this scenario, discovering this detail, capture all the parties concerned and staying to find the outcomes of a grievance is normally extremely costly as well as time overriding to be useful (Hinders; Hartman). Yet, there are various issues in which piracy rules have been flourishing in preventing copyright breaches. A popular software Napster, created by a youngster capitalist, arrived under rage for permitting diverse users to distribute the legal intellectual contents placed on their hard-drives as well as offering millions of group access to a whole library of copyrighted media like (songs) at no cost. Thus, the business was taken legal action by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), rapper Dr. Dre, as well as the hard rock band Metallica. In addition, the proceedings required the business into economic failure, while it afterward became a store for legal MP3 song as well as media downloads. Moreover, Recording Industry Association of America also took action against millions of the users of Napster who supposedly distributed 1,000 songs or more, while many of them were either established or crashed for smaller costs because of the strong pessimistic promotion (Hinders; Hartman). Ethical Analysis We can see different ethical opinions in software development industry. The first opinion can be understood with an example: Microsoft has the authority to decide the situation under what condition someone is able to make copy of a part of software that is developed by Microsoft, and consequently, anybody who copies this software without following these terms and conditions will be breaching Microsoft’s privileges. Another example is open- riding and justice. In this scenario Microsoft offered an advantage to the society at some price (“the worth of the system time we have utilized goes beyond $40,000”). However, a lot of people took benefit of this exclusive of performing something to recompense them for their expenditure (Wilson). In case when software is free of cost, in such conditions pirates or reproducers can take over whatever type of copy is present and share that product without any cost. However, just sharing software between friends or uploading it on internet for all to get it free of cost, this type of piracy is different from the first type in its moral implications. Surely, the principal argument for this kind of piracy is that “the corporations are not trailing something”. This justification comes in 2 ways, the initial is that they would not buy the computer software in any case and the next is that the label price is adjusted to financial credit for piracy. The justification “I would not have purchased it anyhow” is definitely the strongest we are able to present to recognize this type of piracy as ethical. If we would not have paid for the pirated software, it does not mean that we are harming anyone. But, in fact we are utilizing software of which capital belongs to the persons who spent their time and effort to develop that software. Thus, the corporations should charge fee for offering them with the product to utilize. On the other hand, if we would not have purchased it, still we are utilizing it; it demonstrates that we are in favor of the product. Consequently, we should pay for it thus the business is able to get payment from us to utilize the product. In addition, by utilizing the product without payment to the publisher, we are doing a wrong job. However, the next sort of the justification for piracy is more simply tackled with. If we suppose that businesses prices of products are greater in an attempt to report for piracy as well as that this validates getting the product for no cost then we are undoubtedly mistaken. Furthermore, if we did not get it for any cost, and no one else did, after that the corporation would not need to regulate the price by any means. Moreover, by means of the result of an unprincipled act to validate it is not a powerful justification, consequently this scenario is wrong about piracy (Biron; Wilson). Conclusion This paper has presented a comprehensive analysis of some of the prime aspects of the software piracy. In this connection this paper has tried to outline some of the potential issues and areas those are obstructing the way of software copyrights management. This paper has offered a detailed overview and analysis of the software piracy. Then this paper has assessed the typical reasons that people use to justify their piracy activities and their feasible solutions. Work Cited Biron, Jeff. The Ethics of Piracy. 2002. 16 February 2011 . BizOffice. SOFTWARE COMPUTER PIRACY. 2010. 14 February 2011 . FileMaker, Inc. Types of software piracy. 2011. 12 February 2011 . Hartman, Dennis. Copyright Laws on Piracy. 26 May 2010. 15 February 2011 . Hinders, Dana. What Are Piracy Laws? 08 December 2010. 11 February 2011 . Kayne, R. What is Software Piracy? 2011. 16 February 2011 . Online Ethics Center for Engineering. Software Piracy vs. Legal Copying (TI) . 16 February 2006. 12 February 2011 . Parker, Sandra. Types of Software Piracy. 25 January 2010. 15 February 2011 . Safe-Net. Types of Software Piracy. 2011. 14 February 2011 . —. What is Software Piracy? 2011. 13 February 2011 . Wilson, James. Microsoft on Copyright: an Ethical Analysis. 2007. 15 February 2011 . Read More