The Ethics of File Sharing Software Essay -- Computers Technology Soft

The Ethics of File sacramental manduction Software Introduction The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ethical b different that institutionalise communion software creates when used to transfer copy scripted material. It is contested that the very existence of this software promotes piracy. The paper will snap on the creators of the file sharing software, k instantering that the user employs their product illeg eithery. The software creators (Kazaa, Grokster, Morpheus, etc) are claiming that they cannot control what the end user does with its product. In fact, this point has been upheld by a recent court ruling. As music and movies are now lendable almost exclusively in digital formats (CD and DVDs), the ease of write them to computers is easy. And with the Internet, the ability to share via Napster, or Kazaa, is just as easy.How File share-out Worksi File sharing popularity increased with the birth of Napster. It allowed users to connect to each other throu gh a central server. Napster pioneered the concept of peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P). With Napster, individualistic people stored files that they wanted to share (typically MP3 music files) on their hard discs and shared out them directly with other people. Users ran a piece of Napster software that made this sharing possible. Each user machine became a mini server. By instal Napster software, your computer becomes a small server in the Napster universe. You can now contact the main Napster server for your request, but if your request was not available on the main server, then a search is conducted on all the computers connected to the Napster main server at that time. The song or file is downloaded directly from the resident computer. Napster evolved into this approach after i... ... Alpha Books, 2002) crowd Rachels, The Elements of honorable Philosophy, (New York McGraw-Hill, 2003) James Fieser PhD., Bradley Dowden PhD., The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2003, Un iversity of Tennessee at Martin, 17 November 2003 http//www.utm.edu/research/iep/ i marshal Brain, How File Sharing Works, Nov. 2003ii Ibidiii Ibidiv Claudia Roda, Usenet (Usegroups), Sept. 2003 v David Bruce Ingram, PhD, Jennifer Parks, PhD, The Complete Idiots Guide to Understanding Ethics, (Indianapolis Alpha Books, 2002) 138vi James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, (New York McGraw-Hill, 2003) 92-93 vii Ibid 77viii Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness, (New York Penguin Books, 1961) 27