Under the Pixelated Jolly Roger: A Study of On-Line Pirates
2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 34; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/01639625.2012.707536
ISSN1521-0456
AutoresKevin F. Steinmetz, Kenneth D. Tunnell,
Tópico(s)Open Source Software Innovations
ResumoAbstract Digital piracy—a type of copyright infringement—is a global phenomenon that allegedly contains grave economic consequences for intellectual property industries. Its pervasiveness has produced a global piracy subculture. This article describes our study of digital pirates who actively participate in an on-line discussion board dedicated to copyright infringement. It explores their motivations, techniques of neutralization, and contradictions within a community-wide belief system. Motivations among this group include a desire to share content, to sample content before purchasing, to acquire intellectual property that is unaffordable, and to subvert copyright law. We then apply Sykes and Matza's (1957 Sykes , Gresham and David Matza . 1957 . "Techniques of Neutralization: A Theory of Delinquency." American Sociological Review 22 : 664 – 670 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) techniques of neutralization. Finally, we discuss contradictions within this group's belief systems; specifically acceptance and rejection of capitalism and state power and formal control. Acknowledgments The authors thank Drs. Scott Hunt and Derek Paulsen for their insights and contributions to this study. In addition, the authors thank the reviewers for their invaluable comments, time, and effort in the publication process. Additional informationNotes on contributorsKevin F. SteinmetzKEVIN F. STEINMETZ, M.S., is a Ph.D. student at Sam Houston State University within the College of Criminal Justice. Research interests include computer-mediated deviance, political resistance, critical theory, and field research.Kenneth D. TunnellKENNETH D. TUNNELL, Ph.D., is a Professor at Eastern Kentucky University. His research interests include rural sociology and criminology, cultural criminology, and field research. Recent publications include Once Upon a Place: The Fading of Community in Rural Kentucky (2011) and Living Off Crime (2006).
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