No One Told Me It Was Wrong :: Vietnam Technology Computers Essays

No One Told Me It Was Wrong As Viet Nam steps into the global economy, its citizens take advantage of any new business opportunities available. From a western point-of-view, a local computer shop might be nothing new, but for a country coming to terms with technology of the 21st century, an internet shop, computer parts and services, or technology education facilities are lucrative and profitable. So profitable, in fact, that along some streets, there are several competing stores close to one another. Not just in the cities like Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) or Hanoi, the small towns and villages, are quick to follow their urban brothers and sisters. The duplication of software, acquired for free or bought cheaply, is what fuels the businesses. Software is given out for free with new hardware purchases, or duplicated for a small minimal fee, much less than the actual price that software companies sell them for. Distribution of pirated software is cheap and profitable, and is the cause of much concern in the global market, as we will explore in this paper. Software piracy is where most of the money is made in these computer shops, and it is because of this that Viet Nam maintains the leader among countries with the highest piracy rates. Though many business owners are aware of the consequences of such actions, many others, especially those in the developing towns and villages, are oblivious that pirating software has economical and ethical implications. How do you know a deed is wrong if you have not been informed so, especially if the deed has successfully been turned into a business opportunity by so many others around you? While considering the moral and ethical implications of software piracy in Viet Nam, one must consider the culture and economic situations as well. Background According to Gros and Meir, software piracy is "unauthorized duplication, distribution or use of computer software," [1] of which there are 5 types, as listed below: . Publisher Patent and Copyright Infringement: Company X copies a piece of software or process from Company Y for profit. This is a common form of software piracy, but is easy to identify and combat. . Industrial Piracy: This occurs when individuals or groups duplicate and distribute software on a large scale for profit. . Corporate Piracy: Company X purchases one copy of a piece of software, installs it on No One Told Me It Was Wrong :: Vietnam Technology Computers Essays No One Told Me It Was Wrong As Viet Nam steps into the global economy, its citizens take advantage of any new business opportunities available. From a western point-of-view, a local computer shop might be nothing new, but for a country coming to terms with technology of the 21st century, an internet shop, computer parts and services, or technology education facilities are lucrative and profitable. So profitable, in fact, that along some streets, there are several competing stores close to one another. Not just in the cities like Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) or Hanoi, the small towns and villages, are quick to follow their urban brothers and sisters. The duplication of software, acquired for free or bought cheaply, is what fuels the businesses. Software is given out for free with new hardware purchases, or duplicated for a small minimal fee, much less than the actual price that software companies sell them for. Distribution of pirated software is cheap and profitable, and is the cause of much concern in the global market, as we will explore in this paper. Software piracy is where most of the money is made in these computer shops, and it is because of this that Viet Nam maintains the leader among countries with the highest piracy rates. Though many business owners are aware of the consequences of such actions, many others, especially those in the developing towns and villages, are oblivious that pirating software has economical and ethical implications. How do you know a deed is wrong if you have not been informed so, especially if the deed has successfully been turned into a business opportunity by so many others around you? While considering the moral and ethical implications of software piracy in Viet Nam, one must consider the culture and economic situations as well. Background According to Gros and Meir, software piracy is "unauthorized duplication, distribution or use of computer software," [1] of which there are 5 types, as listed below: . Publisher Patent and Copyright Infringement: Company X copies a piece of software or process from Company Y for profit. This is a common form of software piracy, but is easy to identify and combat. . Industrial Piracy: This occurs when individuals or groups duplicate and distribute software on a large scale for profit. . Corporate Piracy: Company X purchases one copy of a piece of software, installs it on