Nearly half of Canadian students admit to using pirated software, even though the bulk also agree that the practice is unethical, a new industry survey indicated Monday.
According to a poll taken by the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft, about 47 per cent of the 3,000 college and university students surveyed said they had downloaded pirated software on the Internet.
Another 53 per cent said they swapped computer discs among their friends.
“Students who use school networks to pirate software may also be compromising their school’s computer security and safety and should be aware that their school may be held liable for the actions of its students,” Jacquie Famulak said in Monday’s report.
The report’s findings also suggested that 72 per cent of students polled agreed that using pirated software is unethical, but only 16 per cent said it was an illegal activity that warrants punishment.
As well, the survey asked students about their attitudes toward theft and found that most did not put illegal software downloading in the same category as offences such as shoplifting.
About 96 per cent agreed that stealing software from a store would be considered a “serious” offence. By comparison, 40 per cent felt the same way about illegal downloading, file swapping or making copies of commercial software.
On the issue of intellectual property rights, about 87 per cent said they would have a problem with someone plagiarizing their own work. When it comes to downloading commercial software, however, just 40 per cent showed similar concerns.
The disconnect, the report said, was particularly strong among computer-science students. About 83 per cent of students in that field felt strongly about someone infringing on their own intellectual property, but roughly two-thirds also admitted to downloading commercial software without paying.
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