Students’ Attitudes Towards Software Piracy Proliferate the Problem

By Stephanie Gamache

What is Software Piracy? The illegal downloading,

copying, and distribution of copyrighted media. This includes: music,

movies, software programs and video games.

Images from: http://www.awn.com/articles/technology/software-piracy-sails-despite-rough-seas-ahead & http://www.melki.biz/computer-systems-analysis/piracy-temptation/

Economic Affect 2011 BSA Global Software Piracy Study

57% of personal computer users worldwide admit to pirating software.

Global Piracy Rate is around 42%,

Revenue lost went from $58.8 billion on 2010 to $63.4 billion in 2011

US 19%

China 77%

Revenue loss still huge for US but we have more legal sales than any other country

Student AttitudesKontantakis, Palaigeorgiou, Siozos, & Tsoukalas Rawlinson & Lupton Teston Woolly & Eining

Current Software is over priced. Thus should be Free

“I wont get caught” or incomplete understanding of the law Everyone is doing it. Peer Influence

Justified (sometimes based on how long the software is needed)

Its not harming anyone Disassociation with affect

Image from: http://www.labnol.org/internet/favorites/most-pirated-software-programs-on-the-internet/2373/

Student Attitudes Continued Instant gratification, easy

It is not morally wrong.

Its not the same thing as

copying a book or stealing a bike.

I’ll stop once I graduate.

Causes of Student AttitudesRamayah, Ahmad, Chin, Le, & Lo Kruger Lai & Kuo Chiou, P. Wan, & C. Wan Douglas Hinduja

Positive relationship between habits and Internet piracy. Soft lifting primes for further unethical

behavior.

Self-Positivity Bias Belief in Disutility based on

keeping software copyrighted Cyber Ethics

One Reason That Does Not Effect Student Attitudes

• Deindividuation Theory• Role of anonymity and

pseudoanymity on piracy

Image from: http://www.toonaripost.com/2012/08/us-news/31-of-computers-users-admits-pirating-software-usage/ & http://andreapro11.edublogs.org/2011/09/30/digital-citizenship/

References Business Software Alliance (2012, May). Shadow market: 2011 BSA global software piracy study (9th ed.)

Retrieved November 15th, 2012, from http://portal.bsa.org/globalpiracy2011/downloads/study_pdf/2011_BSA_Piracy_Study-Standard.pdf.

Chiou, W., Wan, P., & Wan, C. (2012). A new look at software piracy: Soft lifting primes an inauthentic sense of self, prompting further unethical behavior. International Journal Human-Computer Studies, 70(2), 107-115.

Douglas, D. (2011). The social disutility of software ownership. Science & Engineering Ethics, 17(3), 485-502.

Jamil, D., & Zaki, H. (2011). Software piracy does not hurt anyone?. International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 3(4), 3467-3471.

Kontantakis, N.I., Palaigeorgiou, G. E., Siozos, P.D., & Tsoukalas, I. A. (2010). What do computer science students think about piracy?. Behavior & Information Technology, 29(3), 277-285.

Kruger, R. (2003). Discussing cyber ethics with students is critical. Social Studies, 94(4), 188-189.

Mengkuan, L. & Chung-Chi, K. (2007). Preventing piracy use intention by rectifying self-positivity bias. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 35(7), 961-974.

Ramayah, T. T., Ahmad, N., Lau Guek, C., & Lo, M. (2009). Testing a casual model of internet piracy behavior among university students. European Journal of Scientific Research, 29(2), 206-214.

Rawlinson, D. R., & Lupton, R. A. (2007). Cross-national attitudes and perceptions concerning software piracy: A comparative study of student from the united states and china. Journal of Education for Business, 83(2), 87-93.

Teston, G. (2008). Software piracy among technology education students: Investigating property rights in a culture of innovation. Journal of Technology Education, 20(1), 66-78.

Woolley, D. J., & Eining, M. M. (2006). Software piracy among accounting students: A longitudinal comparison of changes and sensitivity. Journal of Information Systems, 20(1), 49-63.