This research aims to investigate the state of illegal software copying and suggest a method for sound use of the information by analyzing middle school students' awareness of the illegality of such acts. The study consists of the actual state of midd...
This research aims to investigate the state of illegal software copying and suggest a method for sound use of the information by analyzing middle school students' awareness of the illegality of such acts. The study consists of the actual state of middle school students' use of illegal software copying and a yardstick to determine awareness of illegality, internet addiction and internet misconduct. This research conducted surveys of middle school students residing in Busan. 310 questionnaires were retrieved and 290 of them were used for analysis. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 16.0. This research applies methods such as frequency analysis and percentage to statistical analysis. The outcome of this research is summarized as follows.
1. The state of middle school student illegal software copying shows that 290 middle school students of the subjects use illegal software. These software were mainly MP3 (music) files, games, movies, animated films and graphics programs (e.g. Photoshop). It can be inferred from this that illegal software used by middle school students is primarily entertainment software (cultural content) rather than software for study. Illegal software is readily available for free download from the internet. The reasons for use of such software are the convenience of illegal copies and a lack of economic ability to purchase retail products. Juvenile attitudes toward illegal software shows that they do not initially agree to illegal copies, but inevitably turn to their use for financial reasons. They are generally aware of the prohibition on illegal copying, in that they answered the survey question on illegal software copying use, agreeing "Illegal copying must be stopped to protecting programmer copyrights." Additionally, their answers varied between, "I do not know whether or not to use illegal software.", "I will use illegal software.", and "I will not use illegal software." To the survey question on illegal software copies, they answered, "I do not know.", "It is illegal.", and "It is not illegal." It is inferred from this that middle school students will continue copying software illegally.
2. The relation between middle school student illegal software copying and awareness of illegality, internet addiction and internet misconduct tells us that there is a high correlation between the group using illegal software and the group not using illegal software. That is to say, the group not using illegal software takes a more positive view on awareness of illegality and attitude than the group using illegal software, with the group using illegal software showing a stronger propensity to internet addition compared to the group not using illegal software. Further, the group using illegal software has a greater frequency of experience in internet addiction than the group not using illegal software. This relationship shows us that the group of middle school students using illegal software are more lenient about illegal copying, have a higher level of internet addiction and engage in more internet misconduct, compared to students in the other group. Further, the relationship tells us that middle school students of the group using illegal software have a greater chance of being exposed to internet misconduct because they use computers and the internet longer than students of the other group. However, this interest in computers exerts positive effects not only on student acquisition of relevant qualification certificates and but also on participation in competitions. Furthermore, the possibility of their future entrance to fields relevant to IT is shown to be greater. Students in the group using illegal software are not interested in awareness of illegality and have a lenient attitude about infringement of copyright although they possess better recognition of information, ability to access information and computer skills, compared to students in the other group. These results suggest that both intensive technical training in information use and education about copyright law might provide middle school students using illegal software more opportunities to develop as a talented person who will enter the relevant fields of IT. Nevertheless, social interest in, and establishment of systematic countermeasures for such students are more necessary, in that they have a greater possibility of involvement in misconduct and crime.
Copying of software by middle school students is clearly illegal. We are required to teach them the importance of software and digital content and have them recognize that the issue of intellectual property rights infringement is related not only to the protection of copyright holders but also to the development of the software industry, a fundamental element of the 21st century knowledge information society and entrance into an informationized developed country as a national goal.
3. Through the change of social consciousness to intellectual property rights, we are required to have middle school students recognize that illegal copy is an act to infringe other's rights and has a severe bad influence on the construction of the right order of economy. To do this, it is of the utmost urgency to correct the society's viewpoint on intellectual property rights. We are required to recognize that the issue of infringement of intellectual property rights is not only for the protection of copyright holders but also for the development of the software industry, a fundamental component of the 21st century's knowledge information society and the key to being a developed nation. We have to reestablish a framework of information technology education for middle school students, based on this social recognition. If information technology education at school aims towards acquisition of relevant qualification certificates and the promotion of computer skills, it is not hard to imagine that students will grow up to be infomed citizens capable of success in a nation well developed in field of information technology. Student software copying is illegal. Educational awareness targeted at youth in school is the most effective solution for these problems. We must remind them that illegal copying is not only a serious crime but also harms its perpetrator repeatedly in a boomerang effect. In conclusion, long-term alternatives for resolving illegal copying are education and public information in raising their consciousness rather than monitoring and crackdown on illegal copying. Therefore, teaching of copyright in school is urgently required.