Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Illegal Downloading, Ethical Concern, and Illegal Behavior

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Illegally downloading music through peer-to-peer networks has persisted in spite of legal action to deter the behavior. This study examines the individual characteristics of downloaders which could explain why they are not dissuaded by messages that downloading is illegal. We compared downloaders to non-downloaders and examined whether downloaders were characterized by less ethical concern, engagement in illegal behavior, and a propensity toward stealing a CD from a music store under varying levels of risk. We also examined whether downloading or individual characteristics of downloaders were similar for men and women. Findings revealed downloading was prevalent (74.5% of the student sample downloaded), men and women were equally likely to download and the factors characterizing downloading were similar for men and women. The comparison between downloaders and non-downloaders revealed downloaders were less concerned with the law, demonstrated by less ethical concern and engagement in other illegal behaviors. Downloaders were also more likely to indicate that they would steal a CD when there was no risk of being caught. Given these results, messages regarding illegality are unlikely to perturb downloaders and alternative recommendations are offered for targeting illegal downloading.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

TRA:

Theory of reasoned action

TPB:

Theory of planned behavior

PBC:

Perceived behavioral control

RIPS:

Risk involvement perception scale

References

  • Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to behavior: A theory of planned behavior. In J. Kuhl & J. Beckman (Eds.), Action-control: From cognition to behavior (pp. 11–39). Heidelberg: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen, I., & Madden, T. (1986). Perceived goal directed behavior: Attitudes, dimensions, and perceived behavioral control. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 22, 453–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Rafee, S., & Cronan, T. P. (2006). Digital piracy: Factors that influence attitude toward behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 63, 237–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altschuller, S., & Benbunan-Fich, R. (2009). Is music downloading the new prohibition? What students reveal through an ethical dilemma. Ethics in Information Technology, 11, 49–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ang, S. H., Cheng, P. S., Lim, E. A. C., & Tambyah, S. K. (2001). Spot the difference: Consumer responses towards counterfeits. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(3), 219–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharjee, S., Gopal, R. D., Marsden, J. R., & Sankaranarayanan, R. (2009). Re-tuning the music industry—can they re-attain business resonance? Communications of the ACM, 52(6), 136–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bommer, M., Gratto, C., Gravander, J., & Tuttle, M. (1987). A behavioral model of ethical and unethical decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 6(4), 265–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, M. K. (1998). Predicting unethical behavior: A comparison of the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 17(16), 1825–1834.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, H. K., Sims, R. R., & Teegan, H. (1997). To purchase or to pirate software: An empirical study. Journal of Management Information Systems, 13(4), 49–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiang, E. P., & Assane, D. (2008). Music piracy among students on the university campus: Do males and females react differently? The Journal of Socio-Economics, 37, 1371–1380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiou, J.-S., Huang, C.-Y., & Lee, H.-H. (2005). The antecedents of music piracy: Attitudes and intentions. Journal of Business Ethics, 57, 161–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, A. L., & Eining, M. M. (1991). Factors influencing software piracy: Implications for accountants. Journal of Information Systems, 5(1), 67–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyle, J. R., Gould, S. J., Gupta, P., & Gupta, R. (2009). To buy or to pirate: The matrix of music consumers’ acquisition-mode decision-making. Journal of Business Research, 62, 1031–1037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cronan, T. P., & Al-Rafee, S. (2008). Factors that influence the intention to pirate software and media. Journal of Business Ethics, 78, 527–545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cronan, T. P., & Douglas, D. E. (2005). Information technology ethical behavior: Toward a comprehensive ethical behavior model. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, 18(1), i–xi.

    Google Scholar 

  • d’Astous, A., Colbert, F., & Montpetit, D. (2005). Music piracy on the web—how effective are anti-piracy arguments? Evidence from the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Consumer Policy, 28, 289–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Easley, R. F. (2005). Ethical issues in the music industry: Response to innovation and piracy. Journal of Business Ethics, 62, 163–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freestone, O., & Mitchell, V. W. (2004). Generation Y attitudes towards e-ethics and internet-related misbehaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 54, 121–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glass, R. S., & Wood, W. A. (1996). Situational determinants of software piracy: An equity theory perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 15(11), 1189–1198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goles, T., Jayatilaka, B., George, B., Parsons, L., Chambers, V., Taylor, D., et al. (2008). Softlifting: Exploring determinants of attitude. Journal of Business Ethics, 77, 481–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, C. W. L. (2007). Digital piracy: Causes, consequences, and strategic responses. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 24, 9–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. D., & Vitell, S. J. (1986). A general theory of marketing ethics. Journal of Macromarketing, 6, 5–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (2006). The Recording Industry 2006 Piracy Report. Retrieved August 30, 2010, from http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_resources/piracy-report-current.html.

  • Johnston, K., & Johal, P. (1999). The internet as a virtual cultural region: Are extant cultural classification schemes appropriate? Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 9, 178–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, J. (2009). Digital Music Report: 2009, Changing Business Models for a Changing Environment, International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 11, 2009, from http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/DMR2009.pdf.

  • Knopper, S., (2005, June 9). RIAA will keep on suing. Rolling Stone.

  • Knopper, S., (2007, April 5) RIAA’s campus crackdown. Rolling Stone.

  • Kreie, J., & Cronan, T. P. (1998). How men and women view ethics. Communications of the ACM, 41(9), 70–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leonard, L. N. K., & Cronan, T. P. (2001). Illegal, inappropriate, and unethical behavior in an information technology context: A study to explain influences. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 1(12), 1–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin, A. M., Dato-on, M. C., & Rhee, K. (2004) Money for nothing and hits for free: The ethics of downloading music from peer-to-peer web sites. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Winter 12(1), 48–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin, A. M., Dato-on, M. C., & Manolis, C. (2007). Deterring illegal downloading: The effects of threat appeals, past behavior, subjective norms, and attributions of harm. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 6, 111–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liao, C., Lin, H.-N., & Liu, Y.-P. (2010). Predicting the use of pirated software: A contingency model integrating perceived risk with the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 91, 237–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lysonski, S., & Durvasula, S. (2008). Digital piracy of MP3s: Consumer and ethical predispositions. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 25(3), 167–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muncy, J. A., & Vitell, S. J. (1992). Consumer ethics: An investigation of the ethical beliefs of the final consumer. Journal of Business Research, 24, 297–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odell, P. M., Korgen, K. O., Schumacher, P., & Delucchi, M. (2000). Internet use among female and male college students. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 3(5), 855–862.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peace, A. G., Galletta, D. F., & Thong, J. Y. L. (2003). Software piracy in the workplace: A model and empirical test. Journal of Management Information Systems, 20(1), 153–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramayah, T., Ahmad, N. H., Chin, L. G., & Lo, M.-C. (2009). Testing a casual model of internet piracy behavior among university students. European Journal of Scientific Research, 29(2), 206–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rob, R., & Waldfogel, J. (2006). Piracy on the high C’s: Music downloading, sales displacement, and social welfare in a sample of college students. Journal of Law and Economics, 49, 29–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robin, D. P., Reidenbach, R. E., & Forrest, P. J. (1996). The perceived importance of an ethical issue as an influence on the ethical decision-making of ad managers. Journal of Business Research, 35, 17–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, R., Siegel, A. W., Scovill, L. C., & Hays, J. (1998). Risk-taking patterns of female adolescents: What they do and why. Journal of Adolescence, 21, 143–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegfried, R. M. (2004). Student attitudes on software piracy and related issues of computer ethics. Ethics and Information Technology, 6, 215–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinha, R. K., & Mandel, N. (2008). Preventing digital music piracy: The carrot or the stick? Journal or Marketing, 72, 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thong, J. Y. L., & Yap, C.-S. (1998). Testing an ethical decision-making theory: The case of soft lifting. Journal of Management Information Systems, 15(1), 213–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, R. R. (2006). Why people obey the law. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitell, S. J., & Muncy, J. (2005). The Muncy-Vitell consumer ethics scale: A modification and application. Journal of Business Ethics, 62, 267–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wade, J. (2004). The music industry’s war on piracy. Risk Management, 51, 10–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, K. R., & Hawkins, R. (1986). Perceptual research on general deterrence: A critical review. Law & Society Review, 20(4), 545–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wingrove, T., Korpas, A. L., & Weisz, V. (2011). Why were millions of people not obeying the law? Motivational influences on non-compliance with the law in the case of music piracy. Psychology, Crime & Law, 17(3), 261–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witte, K. (1992). Putting the fear back into fear appeals: The extended parallel model. Communication Monographs, 59, 329–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witte, K., & Allen, M. (2000). A meta-analysis of fear appeals: Implications for effective public health campaigns. Health Education Behavior, 27, 591–615.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing, School of Business, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand

    Kirsten Robertson, Lisa McNeill & Claire Roberts

  2. School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand

    James Green

Authors
  1. Kirsten Robertson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lisa McNeill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. James Green
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Claire Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kirsten Robertson.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Robertson, K., McNeill, L., Green, J. et al. Illegal Downloading, Ethical Concern, and Illegal Behavior. J Bus Ethics 108, 215–227 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1079-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1079-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation