Essay Preparation

This blog post is going to start off rather awkwardly... I haven't actually begun preparing for my essay, I've been really busy, I'm sorry! Have no fear though, I will relieve you all from stress as I will be able to write about our "class discussion" on this weeks lecture and readings.

I'm going to write in response to the question "It is not illegal to share food or clothes or recipes, why should it be illegal to share software?" In my opinion, I think the answer is quite obvious. I suppose it all comes down to money and ethics. You wouldn't want someone stealing/submitting an artwork of yours without your permission, why would you let someone use a copy of your software that they haven't paid for, or acknowledged as something of value. To make it clear why sharing software is immoral we should consider the term "copyright". According to the Australian Government copyright is "a type of property that is founded on a person's creative skill and labour. It is designed to prevent the unauthorised use by others of a work, that is, the original form in which an idea or information has been expressed by the creator." (Australian Government, 2009)

So basically, it's a type of theft. By sharing software, you are committing a crime!






Australian Government, 2009, viewed 19th September 2011, <http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Copyright_Whatiscopyright>