INTERNET PIRACY

Online Piracy [Image]. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.edge-online.com/

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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.