CSCI 102T

The Socio-Techno Web

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Week 9: Digital Copyright

For the eighth assignment we will do something different. Instead of the writer/responder model, we will all write short (2-3 page) papers. To write a successful paper, you must do two things:
• collect data from your classmates/friends/family
• interview Randy and record their personal beliefs and behaviors throughout the week

Goals

In this assignment, we will explore Digital Copyright, business models for digital media, and piracy. In particular, we will

1. explore the ways that file sharing and peer to peer networks challenged notions of ownership
2. explore the ways that society views digital ownership and responsibility
3. reflect on current and alternative business models for digital products

We should all understand the following concepts presented in the text:

• circumvention vs. infringement
• lock-in
• Digital Rights Management (DRM)
• TPM chips
• peer to peer network
• centralized
• decentralized
• creative commons

Readings

Required Readings:

• BITS Chapter 6 (Balance Toppled: Who Owns the Bits?)
• Most Millennials Regularly Stream Pirated Content, Survey Finds(2017)
• This Is Why People Still Pirate

Optional Readings/Media:

• 'Game of Thrones' was pirated more than a billion times — far more than it was watched legally(2017)
• Convenience Vs. Experience: Millennials Love Streaming But Aren't Ready To Dump Cinema Just Yet(2017)
• 10 Reasons Why People Pirate And Illegally Download Movies, Songs, And Software

Assignment

• Interview Randy: At the end of each day this week, I want you to interview Randy and record the ways that they "illegally" accessed digital content (files, programs, streams, etc.) that day. In addition to what "illegal actions" they performed, I would like you to record why they made that decision (e.g., Was there no other option? Was the price too high? Had they paid for the content already, but wanted access in a different format? Does their moral code allow for certain usages? etc.) Be thorough in your interview: think broadly about what it means to illegally access digital content, and be sure to list all of the ways that digital content was accessed illegally (including shared passwords, lending, etc.). In addition, please classify each act as infringement or circumvention.
• Poll your peers: Among the readings, I have included several opinion pieces that enumerate the reasons that people pirate content. There are many more on the web. I would like you to pose these questions to your peers. Talk to at least 5 peers (defined loosely), and ask them the ways that they access digital content (movies/videos/TV, software, video games, books, research papers, etc.). Report on the trends. How many of them pirate media? How many of them purchase media? Do they feel that some things are OK while others are not? How do they make those judgments? These are example questions, but feel free to ask more or different questions that you find interesting.
  


• Putting it all together: A successful essay will
  • Briefly provide context, explaining essential digital copyright background.
  • Provide insight into the spectrum of beliefs that your peers hold. Think about effective ways to present this data.
  • Dive deeply into Randy's week, and reflect on the incentives and beliefs that led to their decisions. Again, think about effective ways to present this information.
  • Finally, argue for or against current business models. Clearly people pirate media. How much is/isn't this even a problem? Assuming you had the ability to completely reshape industries, describe how you might equitably reward content producers while protecting consumer interests. You may draw inspiration from as many existing business models as you'd like.