Computer Ethics, Fall 2021

Thursdays 5:30-6:45

Class 2

Before class 2, finish reading chapter 1 and read the first three sections of chapter 4.


Protonmail

https://protonmail.com/blog/climate-activist-arrest

Just what was the crime here?


Pick up with " Here are yet again the two contrasting approaches to copyright and file-sharing" in theory_filesharing.html

A big issue is that computers enable (exact) copying at huge scale and negligible cost

US Constitution: very clearly a utilitarian justification for copyright, not a property right.

In theory, maybe this would mean that the social benefit of copyright exceptions would be strongly considered. For example, Fair Use would be interpreted liberally. 

What does this mean in practice? Copyright owners seem to argue strongly for very wide-ranging rights.

Is there a workable deontological justification for copyright? Just what is the duty claimed? How would Fair Use apply?

Who is copyright really for? Who are infringers really taking from?

Quite separately, is infringing the same as theft?

Intellectual Property and the Free Market

Utilitarian and Deontological Ethics, generally

Issues with each

    Would Bentham or Mill have been socialists? Or capitalists?

Other ethical theories

    Religion

Wrong vs Harm

Ethical arguments: what about the one that says "I can't afford it, so they're not losing money on me"

Video games example

Jump to Fair Use.