Parameters for Software Piracy Research

Abstract

Advances in Internet and other digital technologies have opened up new channels and methods for online business. They have also led to a situation where the same channels can be abused and misused. One of these forms of technology abuse, which is becoming increasingly prevalent these days, is the piracy of digital content. This article introduces a relatively comprehensive and unified theoretical framework for studying and understanding a major aspect of digital piracy: namely, software piracy. Based on Routine Activities Theory, Rational Choice Theory, and guardianship concepts, the framework identifies key parameters that can affect the incidence of software piracy. We apply the framework in conducting a systematic examination of 75 articles dealing with software piracy. The examination reveals that a considerable number of parameters have received little or no attention from software-piracy researchers. In addition to suggesting research opportunities, the framework furnishes a systematic approach for structuring the design of future research studies in the realm of software piracy. The insights furnished by this article contribute to future investigations of the software-piracy phenomenon that are needed to avert the economic and social damage caused by software piracy.

Keywords:

• guardianship
• piracy parameters
• Rational Choice Theory
• Routine Activities Theory
• software
• software piracy
• theoretical framework

Authors are listed alphabetically. We are thankful to the reviewers for their insightful comments that helped strengthen this article. Any errors or omissions, however, are our own.

Notes

1. See, for example, J. C. Ginsburg, Copyright control over new technologies of dissemination, Columbia Law Review, 101(7), 2001, or L. P. Loren, Digitization, commodification, criminalization: The evolution of criminal copyright infringement and the importance of the willfulness requirement, Washington University Law Review (77), 1999.

2. At this point, however, a caveat is necessary; piracy may not be an exact fit with the notion of extreme deviance (for example, arson) as, in software piracy unlike other crimes, the entity that is being attacked (the maker of the software in this case) stands to benefit at least a little bit, by way of network externalities present in the software. For example, Givon et al. (1997) argue that some of the success of Microsoft Excel over competitors such as Lotus 1-2-3 could be attributed to the higher leeway that Microsoft allowed for piracy in the initial stages of its life cycle. However, in this article, we do not focus on the aspect of gains to the software maker, as overall, gains are known to be significantly smaller compared to the sales lost due to piracy (see for example BSA Piracy Report, 2007).

3. Of course, it should be noted that this is less of an issue with software than it would be with other forms of digital media such as films and music.

4. We are thankful to a reviewer for pointing this out.

5. We are thankful to a reviewer for pointing this out.