1. Students’ Attitudes Towards Software Piracy Proliferate the Problem
By Stephanie Gamache

2. What is Software Piracy?
The illegal downloading, copying, and distribution of copyrighted media.
This includes: music, movies, software programs and video games.
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3. Economic Affect 2011 BSA Global Software Piracy Study
57% of personal computer users worldwide admit to pirating software.
Global Piracy Rate is around 42%,
Revenue lost went from $58.8 billion on 2010 to $63.4 billion in 2011
US 19%
China 77%
Revenue loss still huge for US but we have more legal sales than any other country

4. Student Attitudes Kontantakis, Palaigeorgiou, Siozos, & Tsoukalas Rawlinson & Lupton Teston Woolly & Eining
Current Software is over priced. Thus should be Free
“I wont get caught” or incomplete understanding of the law
Everyone is doing it. Peer Influence
Justified (sometimes based on how long the software is needed)
Its not harming anyone
Disassociation with affect
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5. Student Attitudes Continued
Instant gratification, easy
It is not morally wrong.
Its not the same thing as
copying a book or stealing a bike.
I’ll stop once I graduate.

6. Causes of Student Attitudes Ramayah, Ahmad, Chin, Le, & Lo Kruger Lai & Kuo Chiou, P. Wan, & C. Wan Douglas Hinduja
Positive relationship between habits and Internet piracy.
Soft lifting primes for further unethical behavior.
Self-Positivity Bias
Belief in Disutility based on keeping software copyrighted
Cyber Ethics
One Reason That Does Not Effect Student Attitudes
Deindividuation Theory
Role of anonymity and pseudoanymity on piracy
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7. References
Business Software Alliance (2012, May). Shadow market: 2011 BSA global software piracy study (9th ed.) Retrieved November 15th, 2012, from
Chiou, W., Wan, P., & Wan, C. (2012). A new look at software piracy: Soft lifting primes an inauthentic sense of self, prompting further unethical behavior. International Journal Human-Computer Studies, 70(2),
Douglas, D. (2011). The social disutility of software ownership. Science & Engineering Ethics, 17(3),
Jamil, D., & Zaki, H. (2011). Software piracy does not hurt anyone?. International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 3(4),
Kontantakis, N.I., Palaigeorgiou, G. E., Siozos, P.D., & Tsoukalas, I. A. (2010). What do computer science students think about piracy?. Behavior & Information Technology, 29(3),
Kruger, R. (2003). Discussing cyber ethics with students is critical. Social Studies, 94(4),
Mengkuan, L. & Chung-Chi, K. (2007). Preventing piracy use intention by rectifying self-positivity bias. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 35(7),
Ramayah, T. T., Ahmad, N., Lau Guek, C., & Lo, M. (2009). Testing a casual model of internet piracy behavior among university students. European Journal of Scientific Research, 29(2),
Rawlinson, D. R., & Lupton, R. A. (2007). Cross-national attitudes and perceptions concerning software piracy: A comparative study of student from the united states and china. Journal of Education for Business, 83(2),
Teston, G. (2008). Software piracy among technology education students: Investigating property rights in a culture of innovation. Journal of Technology Education, 20(1),
Woolley, D. J., & Eining, M. M. (2006). Software piracy among accounting students: A longitudinal comparison of changes and sensitivity. Journal of Information Systems, 20(1),