Questions

• What is the property?
• Who is its owner?
• What danger or discomfort might the unethical action cause?
• Is there a parallel in the physical world to this scenario?
• Is digital media more likely to be unlawfully copied than physical media (books, videotapes, etc.)? Why?
• Can you think of other incidents that would fall into this category?

Comments

Students need to know that computer software is protected by copyright law. It is unlawful, as well as unethical, to make copies of computer programs without permission or payment of the producer of those programs. It also needs to be understood that when purchasing software, one is usually only purchasing the right to use the software. The ownership of the code that comprises the program stays with the producer. This means that one cannot alter the program or resell it. The vast majority of software licenses require that one copy of a program be purchased for each computer on which it is to be run. And no, the inability to pay for software is not a justification for illegal copying anymore than the inability to pay for a book is any justification for shoplifting it from a bookstore.