Computer ethical short essay
explain how one or more ethical theories support your opinion.
(Kantianism, Act utilitarianism, Rule utilitarianism, Social contract theory, Virtue ethics, etc)
1. Does IP protection increase innovation? Provide an argument supporting your answer.
: Benjamin Franklin created many useful inventions without any desire to receive financial reward. Is intellectual property protection needed in order to promote
innovation?
2. Describe your IP.
: Any original piece of intellectual property you have created, such as a poem, term paper, or photograph, is automatically copyrighted, even if you did not label it
with a copyright notice. Think about the most valuable piece of intellectual property you have ever created. Describe in detail the ownership tights you would like to
claim on it.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digg#AACS_encryption_key_controversy
: Discuss the morality of posting the 32-character encryption key for HD-DVDs on Digg.com; the morality of terminating the poster’s account; and the morality of
reposting the encryption key.
4. Analyze MGM v. Grokster. Can you extrapolate such reasoning to other technologies?
: What does the US Supreme Court decision in MGM v. Grokster mean for the development of future peer-to-peer network technology?
5. Consider the legality of proprietary and open-source software distribution.
: The current legal system allows both proprietary software and open-source software to be distributed. What are the pros and cons of maintaining the status quo?
6. Compare software and music.
: Examine the analyses of Section 4.8 regarding the legitimacy of providing intellectual property protection for software. Do these arguments apply equally well to the
question of providing intellectual property protection for music? Why or why not?
