Attitudes, Values and Perceptions Concerning Music Copyright Infringement

This is a pilot study regarding unauthorized music downloading in the United States, which can be a felony crime, even if done for personal use and not for profit or commercial gain. It examines attitudes, perceptions and values of participants toward both downloading activity and toward recent public policy initiatives expanding the scope of intellectual property protection and the severity and certainty of formal sanctions. The Q‐sample (n=50) in this study takes into account the role of deterrence, utility maximization, social bonding, and individual norm variables, as well as property interests and public support for new government policies protecting those interests by the use or threat of criminal prosecution. The P‐sample (n=50) was a convenience sample of participants readily available to the author, many purposely selected because of age, gender, race, and occupation so as to generate a wide variety of perspectives and opinions on the issues. Four factors were extracted: Anti‐Regulation; Pro‐Property Rights; Pro‐Downloading; and Pro‐Deterrence. Factor 1 was characterized by a significant lack of agreement with deterrence arguments and constraining internal norms or external social bonds, even if they were not motivated by the utilitarian benefits of downloading. Even though its preference for utility benefits was only mild, the overall perspective of this factor was decidedly against government regulation and favorable to downloading. Factor 2 is the only group that is sympathetic to the interests of copyright owners. It respects their property rights, agrees with deterrence statements, does not show a preference for the benefits of downloading, and is influenced towards compliance with copyright and criminal law by family and friends. Factor 3 was most highly correlated with Factor 1, sharing an attitude unconstrained by deterrence, social bonds or internal norms, but distinguishable by its utility maximization orientation, being most significantly influenced by the net benefits of downloading music. Factor 4 clearly is motivated by deterrence statements. It may disagree with government and industry positions, but apparently its members will not act on such disagreement. The most significant finding is the consensus of all factors signifying strong disagreement with the position of the government and the recording industry that more people should be arrested for illegal downloading. In fact, all consensus statements indicated a lack of support for copyright interests or deterrence theory.