Case Study IV-8
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Case Study IV-8
Dilemma
Objectives
The objective of this case is to help the students think through ethical issues associated with
intellectual property rights.
Overview
Mary Morrison is a typical college student who needs some software and faces the question of
whether to purchase it or copy it from a friend.
Experience has shown that few students see copying software or downloading music to be a
Questions for Discussion
The following questions may be helpful in exploring these issues.
1. If you were Mary would you accept Frank s offer to copy his Microsoft Office
Professional? Why or why not?
Most of the students will probably say that they would copy the software. Probe their reasons. In
particular, ask them if they would copy it if their friends would frown on it. Some of them may
admit that they would not do it if their friends disapproved. What does that say about how ethics
are determined? Are they cultural artifacts? You might ask them what their parents said when
2. this issue.
Although it was illegal, there was no chance that she would get caught. Probably correct and
affects the consequences.
It would not cost Frank anything, and although Microsoft would be losing revenue, it would
go to Bill Gates, who already had more millions than he could spend.
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Everybody does it. Not true. If everybody did it Microsoft would be in trouble. What Mary
Working extra hours at the bookstore would put pressure on both her studying and
recreational time. Probably correct and affects the consequences.
Mary knew that copying Frank s software was stealing the product of someone else s effort.
She viewed herself as an honest person. She had never stolen anything and she knew that
she would never consider shoplifting something worth $199 from a store, even if she knew
she would not get caught. In fact, if she had found a wallet containing $200 in cash she
position?
3. What should Mary do?
That is not for us to say. We can say what we would do, but Mary has to make this decision and
live with its consequences.
4. What is the difference between real property and intellectual property? Does intellectual
property deserve the legal protection we give real property? Why or why not?
One difference between intellectual property and real property is that intellectual property can be
replicated easily and cheaply and the original owner still has it. Although this was not true before
the invention of the printing press, the copier and the Web have made copying and disseminating
intellectual property cheap and easy.
5. Suppose Mary were the IS Director for a company with 500 employees. She has a tight
budget and needs to install some new software on 50 PCs. She can buy 50 copies of the
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software or just buy one copy and install it on all 50 machines. Is this different from
Mary s previous situation? How?
It is quite different. In the first place, the probability of getting caught and being prosecuted for
pirating software is much higher. This is where software companies concentrate their