Virtualne zajednice na internetu : primjer warez zajednice : kršenje autorskih prava na internetu

Šimičić, Fran. (2013). Virtualne zajednice na internetu : primjer warez zajednice : kršenje autorskih prava na internetu. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Sociology. [mentor Nikodem, Krunoslav].

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Abstract

At the turn of pre-digital into digital age, a gap has been created between traditional social rules and a new Internet culture. A conflict occurrs between legislation and common behaviour on the Internet. A large number of files is freely distributed on the Internet, without permission of the intellectual property rights' owners. Such content is known under the common name warez. Much of the warez content is uploaded to the Internet by groups of people specialized for copying and free distribution of such content. Although the content distributed over Internet is available to everyone, the warez community itself is a closed group with strict rules of behaviour and structural logic. At the top is the so-called warez scene, where individuals procure, remove protection, pack, prepare and distribute digital content without permission of the intellectual rights' holders. Most frequently, their motivation is the acquisition of status, it is important to be the first one who will publish a particular content in order to prove they are more capable than the rest. At a lower level are the collectors who collect warez contents and share them on various forums and other places on the Internet. Collectors' goal is the release of information, sharing and exchange. A special group at this level are the abandonware enthusiasts who collect and distribute outdated software which is no longer sold. Such enthusiasts consider themselves as archivists and engage in the preservation of software which would otherwise be lost. At the bottom are the pirates, persons who download and use warez contents for personal use. They do not engage in the exchange, but rather download what interests them. For the most part, they want free access to the most recent content, without any sense of belonging to the community or the need to repay the favor. So far, anti-piracy campaigns have proved to be too expensive to implement, have mostly been unsuccessful and counterproductive. The message that copyright holders should send to the customers is that the legal use of the content is not simply the right way, but it is something that all other users do. The future looms in the compromise and the availability of legal sources of content on the Internet. If certain content is offered at prices that are affordable to all, the users will most likely turn to legal alternatives.

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