Bonner, S.,

From Digital Culture & Society

The paper Music piracy: ethical perspectives by Bonner and O’Higgins (2010) studies the issues of illegal music downloading and the ethics behind it. The authors studied legal vs. illegal downloading of music. They used a 20-item questionnaire which was completed by 84 respondents. The questions involved asked about illegal downloading and whether or not respondents were guilty if they downloaded illegally. The authors found that respondents continued to download illegally even after understanding it was unethical. Respondents stated that illegal downloading is a normal task in today’s society therefore it should not be looked at as unethical.

The paper begins by explaining a background of the music industry and the major record labels that dominate the music industry. The authors explain the issue of illegal music downloading and the effects it has on the music industry. The authors goal is to understand why individuals download illegally despite the social ethics. The first key argument that Bonner and O’Higgins bring forward is that individuals who illegally download do not feel guilt. Secondly, they argue that someone who enjoys listing to music will likely illegally download. Next, the authors state that students are more likely to download music as they have more connections to find new music.

The paper Music Piracy: ethical perspectives have many strengths. The authors used a variety of different frameworks to prove their hypothesis. The frameworks used include, individual, situational and experimental elements. Bonner and O’Higgins (2010) state that the results reveal the obstacles that managers in the music industry have, and how it is necessary to eliminate music piracy. The results of the study also show that people will continue to download music as it is not looked at as a deviant act. Both authors explain that as of 2010 the study is original and has not been done before. The study explains why music piracy is an issue.

Lastly, some weaknesses and limitations the authors stated the study to have is the difficulty of finding truthful information from participants. It was hard to measure If the person was being truthful in their response. Another issue was the difficulty in getting participants to take part in the study.

References

Bonner, S., & O'Higgins, E. (2010). Music piracy: ethical perspectives. Management Decision,