'Moral Panic' Re: Digital Piracy
Thursday, October 15, 2009 by Aalia
Can the moral panic in regards to digital piracy be equated to other more justified ones about drugs, drink driving or dangers of Internet? Since these panic tactics are aimed to give parents a jolt, it would be interesting to know what’s their take on it. Is it a deliberate exaggeration? Or are the copyright zealots justified in their propaganda?
I decided to do a survey amongst my family and friends (35-68 yrs). And what I found was:
- They are most certainly not losing sleep over it, like they would do over drugs.
- They recognized it as being wrong, but there was nothing strictly 'criminal' about it.
- Many feel that the concept of property has changed, the notion of authorship is also going a similar revision, and that the laws should be more aware and accommodating of that.
- Rather than the piracy ads awakening their conscience, they find it inducing laughter.
-The industries and RIAA are taking a very heavy-handed approach, which is having the opposite effect - the 'pirates' are inclined to rebel more, just to spite authorities.
-And lastly, all of them admitted that they had engaged in illegal downloading sometime or another so they can't really stop their kids from doing it.
I decided to do a survey amongst my family and friends (35-68 yrs). And what I found was:
- They are most certainly not losing sleep over it, like they would do over drugs.
- They recognized it as being wrong, but there was nothing strictly 'criminal' about it.
- Many feel that the concept of property has changed, the notion of authorship is also going a similar revision, and that the laws should be more aware and accommodating of that.
- Rather than the piracy ads awakening their conscience, they find it inducing laughter.
-The industries and RIAA are taking a very heavy-handed approach, which is having the opposite effect - the 'pirates' are inclined to rebel more, just to spite authorities.
-And lastly, all of them admitted that they had engaged in illegal downloading sometime or another so they can't really stop their kids from doing it.