New Poll Indicates More Education, Parental Supervision Needed
WASHINGTON, May 18 /PRNewswire/ — An understanding of copyright law is not enough to stop kids from downloading copyrighted software, games, music and other digital media through illegal, online file-sharing networks, according to a new Harris Interactive poll conducted for the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
A majority of youth are aware that digital media files are copyrighted (91 percent of young people are aware that books are copyrighted; 88 percent, movies; 88 percent, music; 86 percent, software; 83 percent, games and 64 percent, Web sites), yet many of them admit to downloading files anyway. Just over half say they download music (53 percent) and a third download games (32 percent), while fewer kids say they download larger digital files such as commercial software (22 percent) and movies (17 percent).
The nationwide opinion poll asked more than 1,100 youth, ages eight to 18, about their attitudes toward copyright law and Internet behavior, including uploading and downloading copyrighted files through online peer-to-peer (P2P) sites.
“Unfortunately, many kids and teens continue to download copyrighted works illegally even though more than half of them think there are laws against downloading digital works,” said Diane Smiroldo, vice president of public affairs for BSA.
“What’s most alarming is that eight out of 10 kids and teens understand the definition of copyright and nearly all of them, especially teens, are aware that software, music and movies are protected by copyright. The fact that kids know stealing software is wrong, and yet they behave like it’s okay, clearly illustrates a challenging ethical dilemma.”
Survey Highlights:
Kids Are Unsure About Uploading, Downloading and the Law
Violations of copyright law among kids and teens may occur because young people are less likely to think there are laws against uploading and downloading digital media online.
Three in 10 kids and teens are unsure whether it is okay to upload software on the Internet without paying. However, nearly a third are sure it is okay, with teens feeling most strongly. On the whole, young people are more certain when asked about music (43 percent).
When it comes to illegally downloading software, three in 10 young people think it is okay, with even more downloading other types of media (music, movies and games). Where 42 percent are more likely to be unsure if there are laws against downloading software, only 26 percent are unsure about music. Teens are more likely to say there are laws against illegally downloading.
File-Sharing Risks Worry Young People
Kids and teens are more worried about technological problems while downloading digital media than they are about the ethics of stealing.
When illegally downloading, young people worry more about accidentally downloading a computer virus (60 percent) than they do about whether they can get in trouble with the law (50 percent) or accidentally downloading spyware (43 percent). Only 29 percent worry that the act is wrong. Girls worry more about all risks, and boys (19 percent) are more likely to say that none of these things worry them.
Risks aside, those who think that illegally downloading software is okay have their reasons:
* I do not have money to pay for software (51 percent)
* I wouldn’t use the software if I had to pay for it (35 percent)
* lots of people do it (33 percent)
* it doesn’t hurt anybody when I do this (26 percent)
* no one has ever told me not to (19 percent)
* I won’t get in trouble for doing it (15 percent)
* my parents have said it is okay (8 percent)
Teens are more likely to cite financial reasons.
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“The fact that kids know stealing software is wrong, and yet they behave like it’s okay, clearly illustrates a challenging ethical dilemma.”
No, it only indicates that current copyright law does not reflect the will of the people. The people make the laws that decide whether a given behavior is a crime, regardless of what a record company believes.
In a democratic nation, it is impossible for a majority of the populace to be considered criminals.
“The fact that kids know stealing software is wrong, and yet they behave like it’s okay, clearly illustrates a challenging ethical dilemma.”
There is an enormous difference between what is ethically wrong, and what the law says.
None of these kids said what they were doing was wrong, they said they knew it was against the law.
“In a democratic nation, it is impossible for a majority of the populace to be considered criminals.”
That just simply isn’t true. People may believe that a law is right, but still choose to break it. I believe that copyright law is fair, but I still choose to break it because I can’t afford to buy the media that I want to enjoy, and feel that seeing as I couldn’t buy it if I wanted to, copying it creates no real loss. But I would still think it fair that I be considered a criminal because it is virtually impossible to define whether somebody is breaking the law out of need or greed in this case.
The fact of the matter is most people in my generation do not agree with the so called corporate structure. I’m and many others know and can clearly see that the US is being taken for a ride by lobbyists in Washington; paying positions to do the bitting of the company paying them. Regarding this article, to me any many others, copyright law is a “wolf in sheep’s clothes” pretending to be a good thing, when in reality it is being used to secure the deep pockets of very rich and heartless men. An example of what I’m taking about is that when a copyright is put on a product by a corporate player instead of the original author, That company has the intent of making millions and pay the individual pennies as they (the corporation) has ownership of the product and not the individual. My argument is not geared just for this topic but for a lot of other things as well. I believe no company should have to right to own any intellectual property at all. It is no different in telling people that they are not allowed to know things endless they pay someone first.