Education and Values: Interface on the Internet

Scenario 5

Where’d Ja Get That?

You are a teacher in your school’s first year seminar program. Class is over and students are packing up. A student near you is putting her things away. You notice a CD-ROM with “Office 2000” written on it with a black marker. In smaller letters you see the product key code. Another student stops and asks, “Hey Sharon… are you done with that?” Sharon replies, “I promised Dan I’d get it to him tonight but if you can drop it by before 7:30, sure take it.”

- Sharing and downloading pirated software is common. Burning a CD is easy. What is the responsibility of today’s colleges and universities with respect to policing the exchange of pirated software?
- Should this faculty member involve herself in this situation? Should she ask, “where did you get that CD?” Should she attempt to confiscate it?
- What are the liability issues associated with the use of university equipment to download and share pirated software amongst students, staff and faculty?
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