The RIAA used to identify users who shared music files and send each of them a letter warning of an impending lawsuit unless they settle out of court for thousands of dollars. Should the RIAA, movie studios, and TV networks do that now to target users who share music, movies, and TV shows, as an effective tactic to get most people to stop sharing files and to recoup some of the money lost due to file sharing?

Kantianism: YES
Kantianism says yes because... (explain why here)

Act Utilitarianism: NO
Act Utilitarianism says no because... (explain why here)

Rule Utilitarianism:

Social Contract Theory:

Virtue Ethics:

 

Thoroughly explain your stance and please remember that each post must be a minimum of 250 words. Note that repeating/paraphrasing the question (ex. "Kantianism says no, the RIAA and others should not target users who share music and other media to discourage people from illegal sharing and recoup lost profits" -- just say "Kantianism says no") or summarizing/explaining the theory does not count towards the sentence requirement. It is safe to assume that everyone in the class has read Ch 2 and is already familiar with the theory, so don't explain the theory all over again. Please review the textbook: Ethics for the Information Age 8th edition by Michael J. Quinn material for examples of using the theories to support an argument.

 

1. Apply the 5 theories to the Google Books project. Does this initiative give Google too much power, or do the aims of the project ethical enough to justify it?
2. Apply the 5 theories to digital rights management. Is it ethical, or only to a certain extent?
3. The current legal system allows both proprietary software and open-source software to be distributed. Should we maintain the status quo?
4. Should copyright laws protect musical compositions? Should copyright laws protect recordings of musical performances?
5. A plane makes an emergency crash landing on a deserted tropical island. Two dozen survivors must fend for themselves until help arrives. All of them are from large cities, and none of them has camping experience. The survivors find it impossible to gather enough food, and everyone begins losing weight. One person spends a lot of time by himself and figures out how to catch fish. He brings fish back to camp. Others ask him to teach them how to catch fish. He refuses, but offers to share the fish he has caught with the other passengers as long as they take care of the other camp chores, such as hauling fresh water, gathering firewood, and cooking. Is the fisherman's position morally wrong or morally acceptable?
6. The RIAA used to identify users who shared music files and send each of them a letter warning of an impending lawsuit unless they settle out of court for thousands of dollars. Should the RIAA, movie studios, and TV networks do that now to target users who share music, movies, and TV shows, as an effective tactic to get most people to stop sharing files and to recoup some of the money lost due to file sharing?