Interesting: Research Examines Factors That Influence Intention to Pirate Digital Media

[sinkingfeeling]

http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/15041.htm

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A study by information systems researchers at the University of Arkansas shows that as many as three out of four college students may be illegally copying and downloading digital material, including copyright-protected music, movies and software.

The finding confirms nationwide data that most students have pirated digital material. However, while the percentage is dramatic, the number of students pirating now is likely decreasing, the researchers said, as entertainment companies and universities implement more advanced and comprehensive prevention technologies.

To better understand why digital piracy occurs and what influences an individual’s intent to illegally copy and download copyrighted material, Cronan and Sulaiman Al-Rafee, assistant professor of information systems at the University of Kuwait, sampled 280 students – 164 male students and 116 female students – from a business college at a university in the Midwest. Through questionnaires, the researchers asked the students to comment on their behavior and beliefs about piracy. The questions were related to various hypotheses about six factors, identified in previous research, that influence the intention to pirate digital material: intention, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, past piracy behavior and moral obligation.

More than three fourths – 76.5 percent – of the students had pirated material. Almost a third – 30.6 percent – of these students reported participating in a “large amount” of digital piracy, and half of this population said they pirated a “small amount.” There were significant differences between male and female students. Of all students who had pirated, 65.1 percent were men; 34.9 percent were women.

Forty-four percent of the subjects indicated a favorable attitude toward digital piracy. Less than a fourth – 23.6 percent – had a less favorable attitude, and 32.5 percent were neutral. This means that more than three-fourths of the students thought illegal copying and downloading of copyrighted material was OK or had no opinion about it. Not surprisingly, the researchers found that those who had a more favorable attitude toward piracy had a higher intention to pirate.

*****************
So, students in today's business colleges aren't interested in honoring copyrights?

[DJ13]

1. I notice that excerpt failed to mention poverty

I would think a great deal of media piracy is due to a lack of money to afford the high prices the media companies are charging.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Survey was only of business college students.

[leftstreet]

4. LOL Future Wall Street workers n/t

[TimesSquareCowboy]

3. Or, poor value proposition.

Especially as many of us have paid for the same music over and over again in different formats. Why the hell should we pay for it again?

[RandomThoughts]

5. I am not a fan of copyright laws.

I think of ways art and music could be shared, and artist compensated, without limiting the ability for people to experience music and art, or even to create new art from existing art.

However it is a law, but I have thought on topics of civil disobedience about it, currently its sort of low priority since fixing it is a bit of a chore.

[MADem]

6. Their grandparents used to have things called "reel to reel tapedecks" and

they'd do the same shit. "Hey man, I've got five hours of solid tunes on this thing, man.....!"