Ethics Final

Authors Guild and publishers sued Google for copyright infringement. The terms of the settlement were that google would pay $125 million to resolve legal claims of authors and publishers and establish Book Rights Registry. Authors and publishers would receive payments earned from online access of their books, plus share of advertising revenues

Google should have gone to court because they had a god case that its us was a fair use. Agreement gives Google a virtual monopoly over orphaned works. Potential chilling effect of Google tracking the pages that people are viewing.

It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works. It also criminalizes the act of circumventing an access control, whether or not there is actual infringement of copyright itself.

It is actions owners of intellectual property take to protect their rights.
Approaches: Encrypt digital content, Digital marking so devices can recognize content as copy-protected

If the opinion is right, they are deprived of opportunity to exchange error for truth.
If the opinion is wrong, they are deprived of the livelier impression of truth produced by its collision with error.

It can't be wrong

All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.

No one has the authority to decide the truth for all mankind.
The ages are no more infallible than individuals

The freedom of religion, speech, and the press

Various restriction on freedom of expression exist.

It ruled that FCC did not violate 1st amendment because broadcast media is "uniquely pervasive" and broadcasting is uniquely accessible to children.

The attempt to suppress or regulate public access to material considered offensive or harmful.

Government monopolization
Prepublication review
Licensing and registration

Huge numbers of websites, extends beyond national borders and laws, hard to distinguish between minors and adults.

"Have the courage to use your own reason"

No one is infallible
Any opinion may contain a kernel of truth
Truth revealed in class of ideas
Ideas resulting from discourse are more influential

Warns us about the dangers of assuming that all our preferences are based on some absolute rational standard.
Provides an antidote for dogmatism.
Keeps our minds open to discovering the truth.

As a matter of fact, people DO put their own self-interests first.
This is a descriptive claim, telling us about how the world is.

Each person SHOULD focus exclusively on his or her self interest.
This is a prescription claim, telling us how the world ought to be.

1. It is practical since we are already inclined to do what's best for ourselves.
2. The community can benefit when individuals put their well-being first.
3. Other moral principles are rooted in the principle of self-interest.

1. An easy moral philosophy may not be the best moral philosophy.
2. Not true that people naturally act in their own long-term self-interest.
Social injustices have occurred when individuals have put their own interests first.
4. Other moral principles are superior to principle to self-interest.
5. Ethical egoism is a form of bigotry.

1. A computerized system may fail because wrong data entered into it.
2. A computerized system may fail because people incorrectly interpret data they retrieve.

An action is right if and only if it is what a virtuous agent would not fail to perform in the circumstances under consideration.

Between 1979 and 2008, U.S. pop. increased by 35% while manufacturing employment dropped 31%.
Work week got longer between 1979 and 1990
General Motors exited bankruptcy in 2009 with 30% fewer employees.

Automation --> lowers prices --> Increases demand for product, other products and real incomes -->more jobs

Workers today work less than workers 100 years ago.

Manufacturing jobs

When employees work away from traditional places of work. (home office, commuting to a telecenter, salespersons with no office)

Increases productivity, reduces absenteeism, improves morale, helps recruitment and retention of top employees, saves overhead, improves company resilience, helps environment, saves employees money

Threatens managers' control and authority, makes face-to-face meetings impossible, sensitive information less secure, team meetings more difficult, teleworkers less visible, teleworkers "out of the loop", isolation of teleworkers, teleworkers work longer hours for same pay

Increases competition
People in poorer countries deserve jobs too
It is a tried-and-true route for a poor country to become prosperous
Global jobs reduce unrest and increase stability

Makes the U.S. subordinate to the World Trade Organization
Forces American workers to compete with foreigners who do not get decent wages and benefits
Accelerates exodus of manufacturing and white-collar jobs from U.S.
Hurts workers in foreign countries

Some people have access to modern information technology while others do not

Initial professional education
Accreditation
Skills development
Certification
Licensing
Professional development
Code of ethics
Professional society

Public, Client and employer, product, judgment, management, profession, colleagues, self

Be impartial.
Disclose information that others ought to know.
Respect the rights of others.
Treat others justly.
Take responsibility for your actions and inactions.
Take responsibility for the actions of those you supervise.
Maintain your integrity.
Continually improve your abilities.
Share your knowledge, expertise and values.