20 years ago software piracy was a big deal. The estimated losses were $1 billion per year. By 2002 the losses due to software piracy were estimated at $2 billion.
Industry researchers have however seen the rate of software piracy decrease since they began publicizing legal ramifications, business issues and ethical considerations relating to software piracy.
Since 1999, however a shift has been made to downloading music piracy especially since Napster and Kazaa have surfaced.
“Music piracy – especially among college students – is viewed as socially acceptable,” said Woolley, an assistant professor of accounting in the College of Business and Economics. “What one’s friends think about illegal downloading influences one’s thoughts and behaviors. Unfortunately, professors or authority figures do not have the same kind of influence.”
Woolley has been analyzing downloading music piracy among university students for several years and he has found that the majority are not ashamed to admit downloading music illegally off the internet. 95% of those who responded to surveyed freely admitted illegally downloading music. 63% admitted to copying a CD.
Again Woolley states that the students may not see downloading music illegally to be “immoral behavior” because they have no first-hand knowledge of prosecutions. . “They also view recording labels negatively and think that it does not hurt the recording artist,” he said.
“More than that, students may not realize the effect that copyright infringement has on companies,” said Woolley. “The cost is dispersed among software companies or the music industry, and the students don’t really see negative repercussions.”
