1. Why is online piracy ethically different from
theft?
A vignette experiment.
Wojciech Hardy, Michał Krawczyk, Joanna Tyrowicz
Group for Research in APplied Economics
2. Introduction: If you download you’re a thief!
„When you go online and download songs without permission, you
are stealing. The illegal downloading of music is just as wrong as
shoplifting from a local convenience store (…)”
---RIAA, Official stance on piracy (online until 2011)
3
„Piracy is theft, and pirates are thieves, plain and simple.
Downloading a movie off of the Internet is the same as taking a
DVD off a store shelf without paying for it.”
---MPAA, What is Internet piracy? (online until 2010)
3. Introduction: If you download you’re a thief!
„When you go online and download songs without permission, you
are stealing. The illegal downloading of music is just as wrong as
shoplifting from a local convenience store (…)”
---RIAA, Official stance on piracy (online until 2011)
3
„It's as if we were advising people on how to steal from
supermarkets (...) Everything's alright in the legal terms, but,
without any doubts, this IS stealing from artists and - I repeat - is
causing harm to culture.”
--- Bogusław Pluta, director of ZPAV (2012)
„Piracy is theft, and pirates are thieves, plain and simple.
Downloading a movie off of the Internet is the same as taking a
DVD off a store shelf without paying for it.”
---MPAA, What is Internet piracy? (online until 2010)
4. And the views of the society?
Definitely not the same percentage of people that steal from shops
(at least I hope so ).
So what is it that actually makes the difference?
4
Source: http://piracy.americanassembly.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/AA-Research-Note-Infringement-and-
Enforcement-November-2011.pdf
6. Common reasons for piracy:
5
There is no loss if you copy something.
7. Common reasons for piracy:
5
There is no loss if you copy something.
Why not copy if there’s no available alternative.
8. Common reasons for piracy:
5
There is no loss if you copy something.
Why not copy if there’s no available alternative.
They are just some big capitalist companies, who won’t receive my few dollars.
9. Common reasons for piracy:
5
There is no loss if you copy something.
Why not copy if there’s no available alternative.
They are just some big capitalist companies, who won’t receive my few dollars.
DRMs are a nuisance to buyers, and pose no barrier to pirates.
10. Common reasons for piracy:
5
There is no loss if you copy something.
Why not copy if there’s no available alternative.
They are just some big capitalist companies, who won’t receive my few dollars.
DRMs are a nuisance to buyers, and pose no barrier to pirates.
It’s much easier when you don’t have to look the victim in the eye.
11. To address the question:
6
Which difference makes the difference?
12. To address the question:
6
Which difference makes the difference?
Hypothetical stories about Johnny, who committed various,
questionable acts to acquire a TV series.
13. To address the question:
6
Which difference makes the difference?
Hypothetical stories about Johnny, who committed various,
questionable acts to acquire a TV series.
Stories are based on six dimensions often mentioned in the
debate around piracy:
Loss, Physicality, Alternative, Peer, Sharing, Protection
14. To address the question:
6
Which difference makes the difference?
Hypothetical stories about Johnny, who committed various,
questionable acts to acquire a TV series.
Stories are based on six dimensions often mentioned in the
debate around piracy:
Loss, Physicality, Alternative, Peer, Sharing, Protection
Responders rate the stories’ acceptability.
15. To address the question:
6
Which difference makes the difference?
Hypothetical stories about Johnny, who committed various,
questionable acts to acquire a TV series.
Stories are based on six dimensions often mentioned in the
debate around piracy:
Loss, Physicality, Alternative, Peer, Sharing, Protection
Responders rate the stories’ acceptability.
Additional questions on personal behaviour and
demographics.
16. Let’s take a few things into account first
7
Vignette experiments
17. Let’s take a few things into account first
7
Vignette experiments
Hypothetical situations that the responders judge, evaluate, etc.
18. Let’s take a few things into account first
7
Vignette experiments
Hypothetical situations that the responders judge, evaluate, etc.
Very popular when analyzing controversial choices.
19. Let’s take a few things into account first
7
Vignette experiments
Hypothetical situations that the responders judge, evaluate, etc.
Very popular when analyzing controversial choices.
Types of theft – Green (2012).
20. Let’s take a few things into account first
7
Vignette experiments
Hypothetical situations that the responders judge, evaluate, etc.
Very popular when analyzing controversial choices.
Types of theft – Green (2012).
Sometimes on piracy, but mostly software and not culture.
On cultural goods piracy
21. Let’s take a few things into account first
7
Vignette experiments
Hypothetical situations that the responders judge, evaluate, etc.
Very popular when analyzing controversial choices.
Types of theft – Green (2012).
Sometimes on piracy, but mostly software and not culture.
On cultural goods piracy
Music piracy vs shoplifting (difference explained by law
deterrence).
22. Let’s take a few things into account first
7
Vignette experiments
Hypothetical situations that the responders judge, evaluate, etc.
Very popular when analyzing controversial choices.
Types of theft – Green (2012).
Sometimes on piracy, but mostly software and not culture.
On cultural goods piracy
Music piracy vs shoplifting (difference explained by law
deterrence).
Acquisition of a `test preparation tool’ (physicality and
exclusion).
23. Let’s take a few things into account first
7
Vignette experiments
Hypothetical situations that the responders judge, evaluate, etc.
Very popular when analyzing controversial choices.
Types of theft – Green (2012).
Sometimes on piracy, but mostly software and not culture.
On cultural goods piracy
Music piracy vs shoplifting (difference explained by law
deterrence).
Acquisition of a `test preparation tool’ (physicality and
exclusion).
`Sharing’ (e.g. at a party) is more acceptable than downloading.
24. 8
Let’s take a few things into account first
How are pirates different?
Higher preference for risky behaviour
Less respect for the rules
BUT: willingness to pirate is unrelated to willingness to
shoplifting
Individual judgement is often harsher than perceived social
norms.
Although the latter may influence the former.
Is piracy considered an ethical problem?
27. 9
The questionnaire
Rewards offered as an encouragement.
18 stories that were built upon the six dimensions.
28. 9
The questionnaire
Rewards offered as an encouragement.
18 stories that were built upon the six dimensions.
Randomized order of screens and stories within.
29. 9
The questionnaire
Rewards offered as an encouragement.
18 stories that were built upon the six dimensions.
Randomized order of screens and stories within.
Treatments (random assignment):
30. 9
The questionnaire
Rewards offered as an encouragement.
18 stories that were built upon the six dimensions.
Randomized order of screens and stories within.
Treatments (random assignment):
Treatment I: Ethical Judgement (EJ)
31. 9
The questionnaire
Rewards offered as an encouragement.
18 stories that were built upon the six dimensions.
Randomized order of screens and stories within.
Treatments (random assignment):
Treatment I: Ethical Judgement (EJ)
Treatment II: Social Norms (SN)
32. 9
The questionnaire
Rewards offered as an encouragement.
18 stories that were built upon the six dimensions.
Randomized order of screens and stories within.
Treatments (random assignment):
Treatment I: Ethical Judgement (EJ)
Treatment II: Social Norms (SN)
Treatment III: Incentivized Social Norms (ISN) (Krupka-Weber, 2013)
33. 9
The questionnaire
Rewards offered as an encouragement.
18 stories that were built upon the six dimensions.
Randomized order of screens and stories within.
Treatments (random assignment):
Treatment I: Ethical Judgement (EJ)
Treatment II: Social Norms (SN)
Treatment III: Incentivized Social Norms (ISN) (Krupka-Weber, 2013)
Rating scale: 1 – Totaly unacceptable; 4 – Fully acceptable.
Note that there is no interpretable middle.
34. 10
Story examples
A friend of Johnny's forgot to log out from his e-mail box, after
using Johnny's computer. While closing the web browser, Johnny
spotted that the mail currently displayed on his screen contained a
one-use only access code for a payable site with TV series in High
Definition. Johnny quickly copied the code, and after returning
home used it on a season of a popular TV series.
Not physical; Loss; Peer; No alternative; No sharing; Protection
A new season of a popular, high budget, American TV series is
available in kiosks as an add-on for a magazine priced 7.99 PLN.
However, Johnny downloaded the series from another source, for
free.
Not physical; No loss; Not a peer; Alternative; No sharing; No protection.
35. Sample – Two studies
11
Study 1
Students of the University of Warsaw (around 50% Economics)
Young age (~24)
Balanced gender (~60% female)
N=338
Study 2
Facebook profiles of non-for-profit organizations
Slightly older than Study I (~28)
Mostly female (~68%)
N=129
49. 17
Conclusions
The importance of dimensions:
Physicality (Most important)
Loss
Protection
Peer
Sharing
Alternative (Insignificant)
50. 17
Conclusions
The importance of dimensions:
Physicality (Most important)
Loss
Protection
Peer
Sharing
Alternative (Insignificant)
Individual opinion is harsher than perceived social norms.
51. 17
Conclusions
The importance of dimensions:
Physicality (Most important)
Loss
Protection
Peer
Sharing
Alternative (Insignificant)
Individual opinion is harsher than perceived social norms.
Conscious/sensitive downloaders.
52. 17
Conclusions
The importance of dimensions:
Physicality (Most important)
Loss
Protection
Peer
Sharing
Alternative (Insignificant)
Individual opinion is harsher than perceived social norms.
Conscious/sensitive downloaders.
Same dimensions important online.
53. 17
Conclusions
The importance of dimensions:
Physicality (Most important)
Loss
Protection
Peer
Sharing
Alternative (Insignificant)
Individual opinion is harsher than perceived social norms.
Conscious/sensitive downloaders.
Same dimensions important online.
Policies should be focused on particular aspects of piracy.
54. Thank you for your attention!
Author: Wojciech Hardy
e-mail: whardy@wne.uw.edu.pl
More about our research on:
http://grape.uw.edu.pl/ipiracy
Twitter: @GrapeUW