Abstract
In this paper, we examine some ethical implications of a controversial court decision in the United States involving Verizon (an Internet Service Provider or ISP) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In particular, we analyze the impacts this decision has for personal privacy and intellectual property. We begin with a brief description of the controversies and rulings in this case. This is followed by a look at some of the challenges that peer-to-peer (P2P) systems, used to share digital information, pose for our legal and moral systems. We then examine the concept of privacy to better understand how the privacy of Internet users participating in P2P file-sharing practices is threatened under certain interpretations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the United States. In particular, we examine the implications of this act for a new form of “panoptic surveillance” that can be carried out by organizations such as the RIAA. We next consider the tension between privacy and property-right interests that emerges in the Verizon case, and we examine a model proposed by Jessica Litman for distributing information over the Internet in a way that respects both privacy and property rights. We conclude by arguing that in the Verizon case, we should presume in favor of privacy as the default position, and we defend the view that a presumption should be made in favor of sharing (rather than hoarding) digital information. We also conclude that in the Verizon case, a presumption in favor of property would have undesirable effects and would further legitimize the commodification of digital information – a recent trend that is reinforced by certain interpretations of the DMCA on the part of lawmakers and by aggressive tactics used by the RIAA.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
D. Briscoe. On the Darknet. Newsweek, October 17, Vol. CXLVI, No. 16, 2005, p. E2.
J.W DeCew (1997) In Pursuit of Privacy: Law, Ethics, and the Rise of Technology Cornell University Press Ithaca, New York
Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Available at: http://Thomas.loc.gov., accessed 6/21/04.
P. Eng. Of Ants and Online Pirates: Insects Inspire ‘Untraceable’ Online File-sharing Network., Available at: ABCNEWS.com, accessed 1/18/04.
F.S. Grodzinsky and H.T. Tavani. The Verizon v. RIAA Case: Implications for Privacy and Democracy in Cyberspace. In Proceedings of the 2004 International Symposium on Technology and Society. pp. 49–53. IEEE Press, New York, 2004.
S.K. Katyal. The New Surveillance. Case Western Law Review, Vol. 54, 297, 2004. Also available at: http://islandia.law.yale.edu.
J Litman (2003) ArticleTitleEthical Disobedience Ethics and Information Technology 5 IssueID4 217–223 Occurrence Handle10.1023/B:ETIN.0000017736.38811.22
J. Litman. Sharing and Stealing, 2004. Available at http://www.law.wayne.edu/litman/papers/sharing&stealing. pdf, accessed 4/22/05.
R. Mark. Court: Verizon Must Reveal Name of Alleged Online Pirate. Available at: http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/1572591, accessed 10/9/03.
J.H Moor (2004) Towards a Theory of Privacy for the Information Age R.A Spinello H.T Tavani (Eds) Readings in CyberEthics EditionNumber2 Jones and Bartlett Sudbury, MA 407–417
J Rachels (1995) Why Privacy is Important D.G Johnson H Nissenbaum (Eds) Computing, Ethics and Social Values Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, NJ 351–357
H.T Tavani (2004) Ethics and Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication Technology John Wiley and Sons Hoboken, NJ
H.T. Tavani and F.S. Grodzinsky. Threat to Democratic Ideals in Cyberspace: Lessons Learned From the Verizon v. RIAA Case. IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, 24(3): 40–44, Fall 2005.
UCLA Online Institute for Cyberspace Law and Policy. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act. http://www. gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dcma1.htm, accessed 7/7/04.
S. Warren and L. Brandeis. The Right to Privacy. Harvard Law Review, 14(5): 1980.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grodzinsky, F.S., Tavani, H.T. P2P Networks and the Verizon v. RIAA Case: Implications for Personal Privacy and Intellectual Property. Ethics Inf Technol 7, 243–250 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-006-0012-4
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-006-0012-4