The Culture of Piracy: Jake Brisk When attempting to determine the causes and effects of piracy, we need to first examine who engages in online piracy, and why they choose to do so. Steal This Film paints an image of a new generation of pirates. Through the interviews, they make it seem as if piracy is an issue created by a brave new generation that does not believe in intellectual property protection. Moreover, some of the interviewees argue that we pirate simply because it is in our nature to do so. They argue that online piracy is simply a result of a new generation getting back in touch with who we are as humans. These interviews show us that youths do not pirate music because they cannot afford to buy it; instead, they pirate music simply
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The researchers hypothesized, as per the popular belief, that it is mostly college students who engage in online piracy, because they have yet to develop a fully formed sense of ethics. However, the researchers found that while students do show lax overall judgement, other subpopulations, including those who advocate for intellectual property awareness, are just as likely to engage in online piracy. Moreover, they found, even well-established adults who have the means necessary to purchase music, and are old enough to have a well-developed code of ethics, still engage in online piracy (Krawczyk, Tyrowicz, Kukla-Gryz, & Hardy, 2014). These findings contradict the image that Steal This Film paints. We find that piracy is not a result of a brave new generation; instead, many older individuals also engage in online piracy. Moreover, we find that even people who advocate for intellectual property protection engage in online piracy. Therefore, the film’s claim that only those who disagree with intellectual property protection engage in online piracy is …show more content…
Dr. Kevin Shanahan, professor at Mississippi State University, and Dr. Michael R. Hyman, professor at New Mexico State University, conducted a study to determine the motivations of people who engage in online piracy. They interviewed 608 students in the United States and the United Kingdom, through an online questionnaire, about their motivations for engaging in online piracy. The researchers found that motivations for engaging in online piracy are like motivations for shoplifting. Namely, people mostly pirate music because they cannot afford or do not want to pay for it (Hyman & Shanahan, 2010). Hyman and Shanahan’s research shows us that contrarily to claims made in the movie, that people pirate music because they disagree with intellectual property protection, they in fact pirate music simply because they do not want to pay for
The researchers hypothesized, as per the popular belief, that it is mostly college students who engage in online piracy, because they have yet to develop a fully formed sense of ethics. However, the researchers found that while students do show lax overall judgement, other subpopulations, including those who advocate for intellectual property awareness, are just as likely to engage in online piracy. Moreover, they found, even well-established adults who have the means necessary to purchase music, and are old enough to have a well-developed code of ethics, still engage in online piracy (Krawczyk, Tyrowicz, Kukla-Gryz, & Hardy, 2014). These findings contradict the image that Steal This Film paints. We find that piracy is not a result of a brave new generation; instead, many older individuals also engage in online piracy. Moreover, we find that even people who advocate for intellectual property protection engage in online piracy. Therefore, the film’s claim that only those who disagree with intellectual property protection engage in online piracy is …show more content…
Dr. Kevin Shanahan, professor at Mississippi State University, and Dr. Michael R. Hyman, professor at New Mexico State University, conducted a study to determine the motivations of people who engage in online piracy. They interviewed 608 students in the United States and the United Kingdom, through an online questionnaire, about their motivations for engaging in online piracy. The researchers found that motivations for engaging in online piracy are like motivations for shoplifting. Namely, people mostly pirate music because they cannot afford or do not want to pay for it (Hyman & Shanahan, 2010). Hyman and Shanahan’s research shows us that contrarily to claims made in the movie, that people pirate music because they disagree with intellectual property protection, they in fact pirate music simply because they do not want to pay for