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Topic: Piracy

70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

Summary: In a recent Danish study, 70% of those surveyed believe it is 'socially acceptable' to pirate for personal use. But with the majority of legal music downloaded from iTunes, is this in itself a disincentive?

Zack Whittaker

By for iGeneration |

Legality aside for a moment, can you say that you have never downloaded something you shouldn't have? Or are you a prolific copyright infringer and think nothing of it?

A recent study conducted by the Danish Rockwool Foundation Research Unit found that 70% of respondents found that piracy for personal use is 'socially acceptable'.

While social acceptance may be subjective from one person to another, 15-20% of the totall group found that downloading again for personal use is 'totally acceptable'.

However, when asked whether it is acceptable to download something illegally and then sell it on for a profit, three-quarters said that would be 'completely unacceptable'.

As MSNBC rightly point out, the Danish demographic does not represent on the global scale, more so a localised perspective in a region where piracy and file sharing laws are considered the most lax.

Mass lawsuits do not deter users from pirating, nor does a three strike Internet ban. According to one, if the record labels and wider industry want piracy to lessen, focusing on areas of disincentives and promoting easier and less convoluted ways to access media, rather than pirating.

As for now, the vast majority of the legally bought music comes from iTunes. I don't know about you, but it'll be a cold day in hell when I install iTunes on my machine - even if others can tweak it to remove the crapware from it.

Topics: Piracy, Enterprise Software, Security

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38 comments
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  • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

    There are a lot of things considered socially acceptable, that really shouldn't be.

    Stealing someone's work should be considered wrong, the issue of you selling it on is neither here nor there - you don't have a right to it.

    Really there is no excuse today, there is plenty of "free" (both as in beer and speech) software. If you want to build a PC you need not buy ANY software at all, if you don't want to. You can have a system that can get on the Internet, send/receive email, chat, create "office" documents - pretty much anything. But if you want something with a Microsoft logo on it, you really should PAY FOR IT.

    Simple.
    jeremychappell
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

      @jeremychappell I find it disturbing that you think only something with a Microsoft logo needs to be purchased.
      zclayton2
      Reply Vote

      • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

        @zclayton2

        That is totally not what he said.

        PS to Jeremy: Not every Microsoft product carries a price tag either. Visual Studio Express and Windows Live has no price tag. Plus, there's a whole library of stuff on Codeplex.
        Joe_Raby
        Reply Vote

      • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

        @zclayton2,

        Both those example you do pay for. It all part of the price you pay when you run Windows seeing as you need Windows to run the software. Now if they ran on Linux you'd be right.
        voska1
        Reply Vote

  • Awesome statement

    You really nailed it with "I don?t know about you, but it?ll be a cold day in hell when I install iTunes on my machine - even if others can tweak it to remove the crapware from it." I still have a smile on my face. I believe this was the first time I ever heard the term `crapware` and you could not have picked a better term.

    `Socially acceptable` is rather a vague concept. At least I can't quite figure it out. Female genital circumcision is socially acceptable in some African tribes... Can you compare that to downloading file torrents? I wonder the number (70%) wasn't higher.
    Peter.Perhac
    Reply Vote

  • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

    <i>"I dont know about you, but itll be a cold day in hell when I install iTunes on my machine - even if others can tweak it to remove the crapware from it.</i><br><br>Funny I feel the same way about Windows, mostly because you cant remove the crapware from it. Hiding access to certain programs, is not the same as removing them. Microsoft saying that You might someday want to sue it is not a reason for it to clog up Hard Drives. Windows has such a large footprint because of the Microsoft crapware and spyware. When there is a hidden file that keeps track of all the website you go to, that is only accessible to Microsoft, there is a problem. When Microsoft copies search results and lies about it, there is a problem. When Microsoft partners with another company to steal the IP, there is a problem. Do you see a pattern here? There are reasons that people are switching to Linux and Mac OS X. They are getting tired of Microsofts Monkey Business.
    Rick_K
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

      @Rick_K
      There is no file in windows that cannot be deleted. Hidden files can be found if you care to learn how. However, I will allow that deleting some will render your system unusable. But let's tell the truth about the thing; all OSs have quirks.
      eargasm
      Reply Vote

  • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

    come to Romania and ask that. 80% would reply: is it piracy if I download music or movies from bittorrent?
    d.marcu
    Reply Vote

  • so

    let me get this straight. you write an article on a report on people and illegal downloading, state some facts, quote some experts then throw in your little anti something rant at the end because... it's frickin relevant somehow? this story wouldn't be quite complete without your 2 cents?

    or is it because it's your fricking blog and you'll do what you want, journalism be damned?
    sportmac
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

      @sportmac journalism? it's his blog and let him do what he wants!
      Peter.Perhac
      Reply Vote

      • Agreed

        @Peter.Perhac

        If there was any doubt remaining about ZDNET the article a few days ago about "Emimen overtakes Lady Gaga on Facebook" should have erased it.
        oncall
        Reply Vote

    • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

      @sportmac
      It is perfectly relevent! Let me connect the dots my simple-minded blowhard. If the principal way to legally get something is a crock of shit then it incentivises people to bypass it!
      johncpm@...
      Reply Vote

  • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

    The 70% socially acceptable rate for online piracy does not surprise me, but it is disheartening that people believe that they should be able to take it for their personal use, but not for resale. I wonder what they think about redistributing for free--is that OK?

    People can spend time, effort and dollars to create software, books, videos/movies, and it never ceases to amaze me that others believe they are entitled to it--free!
    Ryck Marciniak
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

      @Ryck Marciniak

      That's what you get with Copyright laws that are completely out of balance.
      voska1
      Reply Vote

  • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

    capitalism - adapt or die. the music industry faced a similar situation and realized they couldn't sue the whole population, so they learned how to harness it. App Stores are a prime example of software that doesn't get pirated, which people are willing to pay for. <br>Bottom line, if people VIEW your &lt;digital content here&gt; as overpriced (whether it is or isn't in fact), it'll be pirated. period. <br>$90 Windows 98 upgrade, anybody?
    bc3tech
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

      @bc3tech Agreed. If I tell Sony music or whoever that they can take my money illegally and not get caught, I bet they would. If not them then most others would.

      Corporations are all about the free market when they are using it to their advantage. When they can find a way around the law to make a buck, they take it. I do not feel bad for them when people take their content for free. If they don't like it, figure out a way to stop it.
      redhaven
      Reply Vote

    • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

      @bc3tech Actually there are ways to get pirated app store apps. Personally I refuse to use any pirated apps not only on moral grounds (especially since most of the devs are small companies) but because I do not want to run the risk of introducing malware on my device.
      athynz
      Reply Vote

  • I don't

    And with the wealth of free software available, there really isn't any excuse for it, if there ever was.
    John L. Ries
    Reply Vote

  • What does not wanting iTunes have to do with ANYTHING

    "As for now" what? You don't like iTunes so it's a-ok to pirate music? iTunes is not the only source of legally purchased digital content so that is not an excuse. And even if it was the only source there is a simple solution: buy the CD and rip it for your personal use.
    oncall
    Reply Vote

    • RE: 70 percent find software piracy 'socially acceptable'

      @oncall It was the obligatory insult to Apple - Zach is a confirmed ABAer.
      athynz
      Reply Vote
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