INTERNET PIRACY
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The issue of internet piracy defined
Internet piracy refers to the practice of illegal
reproduction and distribution of copyrighted material which is made available
to the public without the owner’s authorization (Hill, 2014;UNESCO, 2014). The
most common pirated digital media are movies, TV shows, books, music, games, pictures,
software etc. The main reason why people illegally download copyrighted
material is because it is a cheap way of obtaining the material (Kopczynsk,2013). In addition, it occurs when copyrighted material is not available to
purchase in their country. For example, the TV series Games of Thrones is the
most downloaded series in Australia due to delay in international broadcasting
as well as restricted access to Pay TV subscribers only (TorrentFreak.com, 2014).
Reasons why internet piracy is regarded as illegal and/or unethical
The downloading of materials such as music, games, movies
and software is recognized as illegal because it is considered an infringement
of copyrighted materials and has legal consequences (Information Technology Services,n.d). Piracy equates to stealing, and any form of stealing is considered unethical
(Symantec, 2014). When someone downloads copyrighted material they are stealing
from the owners of that material. It is like stealing another person’s car. The
thief gains something for free where the owner loses out. It is unfair to the
owner of the material to be not recognised and/or compensated for his/her hard
work. It is also unfair on those who legitimately purchase the copyrighted
material as well as the stations who pay the owners for the exclusive rights to
broadcast the copyrighted material. Why should they have to pay if others don’t
have to?
Consequences
Online piracy has far reaching consequences for both victims
and perpetrators. The victims of piracy include more than just the owner of the
material; there are other people involved in the production process. These
people are at risk of losing their jobs for example in the U.S it is claimed
that every year 70,000 jobs and more than 2 billion dollars in wages are lost
due to online piracy (Bruhn, 2013). Job losses have a flow on effect on the
economy, it is estimated that piracy cost the U.S economy $16 billion on lost
earnings plus $3 billion in tax revenues (Boorstin, 2011). Meanwhile in
Australia, the illegal downloading of movies costs the economy $1.3 billion
every year (Broughall, 2011). Worldwide piracy is considered a criminal act and
when perpetrators are caught they face consequences ranging from fines to
imprisonment. In Australia a person who is caught engaging in online piracy can
expect up to 5 years in prison and pay a fine up to $50,000. Corporations
conducting in piracy can expect to be fined up to $250,000 (Australian Government: IP Australia, 2013).
Solutions
There are a number of ways online piracy can be combatted.
One way is to offer the material cheaper to the consumers such as offering it
in a streaming format with ads. Another way to diminish online piracy is having
material released worldwide at the same time as well as be available for
purchase at equivalent prices. The
governments of each country can be more stringent in their monitoring of
illegal downloading as well serving harsher penalties to perpetrators. Some
American internet providers such as Verizon, Time Warner Cable, and AT&T,
are now throttling download speeds to customers engaging in illegal downloads
and possibly disconnected (Kopczynsk, 2013). Other Internet Providers should do the same to
combat online piracy. Another way online piracy can be reduced is raising public
awareness of online piracy and the damaging effects on the economy such as loss
of jobs.
Reflection
Hopefully after reading this blog, you'll think
twice next time about illegally downloading copyrighted material and that you
do purchase the material legitimately. By doing so you will be supporting the
owners as well as the other people involved in the making of the material. I
also hope this blog has broadened your mind as well as expanded your knowledge
of the issue of Internet Piracy.
