IP Outreach Research > IP Crime
Reference
| Title: | Digital Piracy: A Latent Class Analysis |
| Author: | George E Higgins and Scott E Wolfe [University of Louisville], Melissa L Ricketts [Shippensburg University] |
| Source: | Social Science Computer Review 27, no. 1: 24-40 |
| Year: | 2009 |
Details
| Subject/Type: | Piracy |
| Focus: | Music |
| Country/Territory: | United States of America |
| Objective: | To examine whether subgroups (i.e. classes) exist in samples designed to capture digital piracy. |
| Sample: | 355 undergraduate students at three universities in the south-eastern United States |
| Methodology: | Self-report questionnaire |
Main Findings
Analysing digital music piracy (downloading a CD, downloading music from MySpace) among university students, the study found that respondents can be grouped into three classes:
- the low downloading class (69%) is not likely to have performed music piracy, with the exception of 1-2 times of downloading a CD in the past 12 months. It corresponds to a low-intention group for digital piracy, with less than 25% intention, consideration and likelihood of performing digital piracy
- moderate pirates (12.6%) have performed both forms of music piracy (downloading a CD, downloading music from MySpace) at least 1-2 times (and up to 5 times) during the last 12 months. They correspond to a medium-intention group for digital piracy, with about 60% intention, consideration and likelihood in performing this behaviour
- heavy pirates (18.4%) have downloaded a CD at least five times in the last 12 months, and have downloaded music from MySpace more than 2 times during the same time period. They correspond to a high-intention digital piracy group, consistently reporting high intentions, consideration and likelihood for digital piracy (between 60% and 90%)
The study authors recommend the development of curricula to reduce the association with digital piracy peers, positive attitudes toward digital piracy, and the attractiveness of digital piracy.
[Date Added: Apr 3, 2009 ]