Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Neutralization theory and online software piracy: An empirical analysis

  • Published:
Ethics and Information Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Accompanying the explosive growth of information technology is the increasing frequency of antisocial and criminal behavior on the Internet. Online software piracy is one such behavior, and this study approaches the phenomenon through the theoretical framework of neutralization theory. The suitability and applicability of nine techniques of neutralization in determining the act is tested via logistic regression analyses on cross-sectional data collected from a sample of university students in the United States. Generally speaking, neutralization was found to be weakly related to experience with online software piracy; other elements which appear more salient are suggested and discussed in conclusion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agnew R. (1994) The Techniques of Neutralization and Violence. Criminology, 32(4): 555–580

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agnew R., A.A.R. Peters (1986) The Techniques of Neutralization: An Analysis of Predisposing and Situational Factors. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 13(1): 81–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Rafee S., T.P. Cronan (2006) Digital Piracy: Factors that Influence Attitude Toward Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 63: 237–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Athey S.. (1993) A Comparison of Experts’ and High Tech Students’ Ethical Beliefs in Computer Related Situations. Journal of Business Ethics, 12(5): 359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Athey and J. Plotnicki. Would the Software Police Find Your Company Guilty? Journal of Systems Management, 45(10): 32–38, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Austin R.L. (Ed.) (1977) Commitment, Neutralization, and Delinquency. California: Sage

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball R.A. (1966) An Empirical Exploration of Neutralization Theory. Criminologica, 4(2): 22–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ball R.A., J.R. Lilly (1971) Juvenile Delinquency in a Rurban County. Criminology, 9(1): 69–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Banerjee, Ethical Behavior of IS Personnel: In Search of a Behavioral Model. University of Arkansas, 1992.

  • J. Bentham, editor, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. The Athlone Press, London, [1781] 1970.

  • BSA, Software Piracy and U.S. Law. Business Software Alliance, 1998a.

  • BSA, Warez: Myth vs. Fact. Business Software Alliance, 1998b.

  • Buckley M.R., D.S. Wiese, M.G. Harvey (1998) An investigation into the dimensions of unethical behavior. Journal of Business Education, 73(5): 284–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Carney. HR 1761, Copyright Damages Improvement Act. Tech Law Journal, 1999.

  • Cheng H.K., R.R. Sims, H. Teegen (1997) To Purchase or to Pirate Software: An Empirical Study. Journal of Management Information Systems, 13(4): 49

    Google Scholar 

  • Cloward R.A., L.E. Ohlin (1963) Delinquency and Opportunity: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs (4th ed.). New York: The Free Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen A.K. (1955) Delinquent Boys: The Culture of the Gang. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen E., L. Cornwell (1989) College Students Believe Piracy is Acceptable. CIS Educator Forum, 1(3): 2–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Copyright Office of the United States, Copyright law of the United States of America and related laws contained in Table 17 of the United States Code. US Copyright Office, 2000.

  • Crown D.F., M.S. Spiller (1998) Learning from the Literature on Collegiate Cheating: A Review of Empirical Research. Journal of Business Ethics, 17(6): 683–700

    Google Scholar 

  • Dordick H.S. (1986), Intellectual Property: Protecting Rights and Privileges in an Electronic Age. New York: Clark Boardman

    Google Scholar 

  • Eining M.M., A.L. Christensen (1991) A Psycho-social Model of Software Piracy: The Development of a Test Model. In R. Dejoie, G. Fowler, D Paradice (Eds.) Ethical Issues in Information Systems. Boston: Boyd & Fraser

    Google Scholar 

  • D.R. Ellis. Computer law—a Primer on the Law of Software Protection. The Florida Bar Journal, 1986

  • Glass R.S., W.A. Wood (1996) Situational Determinants of Software Piracy: An Equity Theory Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 15(11): 1189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gopal R.D., G.L. Sanders (1998) International Software Piracy: Analysis of Key Issues and Impacts. Information Systems Research, 9(4): 380–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Gottfredson and T. Hirschi. A General Theory of Crime. Stanford University Press, Stanford; CA, 1990

  • Hall J. (1935) Theft, Law and Society. Boston: Little Brown & Co

    Google Scholar 

  • S.J. Harrington, Why People Copy Software and Create Computer Viruses: Individual Characteristics or Situational Factors? Information Resources Management Journal, 2(3): 28–37, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henry S. (1990) Degrees of Deviance, Student Accounts of their Deviant Behavior. Salem, WI: Sheffield Publishing

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins G.E. (2005) Can Low Self-control Help with the Understanding of the Software Piracy Problem? Deviant Behavior, 26(1): 1–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G.E. Higgins and D.A. Makin. Does Social Learning Theory Condition the Effects of Low Self-control on College Students’ Software Piracy? Journal of Economic Crime Management, 2(2): 1–2, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins G.E., A.L. Wilson (2006) Low Self-control, Moral Beliefs, and Social Learning Theory in University Students’ Intentions to Pirate Software. Security Journal, 19: 75–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins G.E., B.D. Fell, A.L. Wilson (2006) Digital Piracy: Assessing the Contributions of an Integrated Self-control Theory and Social Learning Theory using Structural Equation Modeling. Criminal Justice Studies, 19(1): 3–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins G.E., A.L. Wilson, B.D. Fell (2005) An Application of Deterrence Theory to Software Piracy. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 12(3): 166–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Hindelang M.J. (1970) The Commitment of Delinquents to their Misdeeds: Do Delinquents Drift? Social Problems, 17: 502–509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hindelang M.J. (1974) Moral Evaluation of Illegal Behaviors. Social Problems, 21: 370–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinduja S. (2001) Correlates of Internet Software Piracy. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 17(4): 369–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinduja S. (2003) Trends and Patterns among Software Pirates. Ethics and Information Technology, 5(1): 49–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinduja S. (2006a) Critical Theory and Music Piracy. Critical Criminology, 14(4): 387–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinduja S. (2006b) Music Piracy and Crime Theory. New York: LFB Scholarly, Inc

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirschi T. (1969) Causes of Delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Hohn D.A., L.R. Muftic, K. Wolf (2006) Swashbuckling Students: An Exploratory Study of Internet Piracy. Security Journal, 19: 110–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollinger R.C. (1991) Neutralizing in the Workplace: An Empirical Analysis of Property Theft and Production Deviance. Deviant Behavior, 12: 169–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Im J.H., P.D. Van Epps (1991) Software Piracy and Software Security in Business Schools: An Ethical Perspective. Data Base, 22(3): 15–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Im J.H., P.D. Van Epps (1992) Software Piracy and Software Security Measures in Business Schools. Information & Management, 23(4): 193–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.H. Im and C. Koen. Software Piracy and Responsibilities of Educational Institutions. Information & Management, 18(4): 189–194, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  • Kievit K. (1991) Information Systems Majors/Non-majors and Computer Ethics. Journal of Computer Information, 32(1): 43–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Kini R.B., A. Rominger, B.S. Vijayaraman (2000) An Empirical Study of Software Piracy and Moral Intensity Among University Students. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 40(3): 62–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Kini R.B., H.V. Ramakrishna B.S. Vijayaraman (2004) Shaping of Moral Intensity Regarding Software Piracy: A Comparison between Thailand and U.S. Students. Journal of Business Ethics, 49: 91–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klockars C.B. (1974) The Professional Fence. New York: Free Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Landsheer J.A., H. Hart, W. Kox (1994) Delinquent Values and Victim Damage: Exploring the Limits of Neutralization Theory. British Journal of Criminology, 34(1): 44–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal L.M., K.E. Instone, D.W. Chilson (1992) Another View of Computer Science Ethics: Patterns of Responses among Computer Scientists. Journal of System Software, 17: 49–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lipsman A. (2007a) comScore Media Metrix Releases Top 50 Web Rankings for June. Reston, VA: comScore Networks

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipsman A. (2007b) comScore Releases Worldwide Rankings of Top Web Properties. London, UK: comScore Networks

    Google Scholar 

  • Long J.S. (1997) Regression Models for Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Luckenbill D.F., S.L. Miller (1998) Defending Intellectual Property: State Efforts to Protect Creative Works. Justice Quarterly, 15(1): 93–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Y. Malhotra. Controlling Copyright Infringements of Intellectual Property: The Cause of Computer Software-Part One. Journal of Systems Management 45: 32–35, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  • Matza D. (1964) Delinquency and Drift. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazerolle P., A. Piquero (1998) Linking Exposure to Strain with Anger: An Investigation of Deviant Adaptations. Journal of Criminal Justice, 26(3): 195–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. McCullagh, Congress Readies Broad New Digital Copyright Bill. CNET Networks, Inc., 2006.

  • D. McCullagh, Gonzales Proposes New Crime: ‹Attempted’ Copyright Infringement. CNET Networks, Inc., 2007.

  • Miller W.B. (1958) Journal of Social Issues. Lower Class Culture as a Generating Milieu of Gang Delinquency, 14: 5–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Minor W.W. (1980) The Neutralization of the Criminal Offense. Criminology, 18(1): 103–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minor W.W. (1981) Techniques of Neutralization: A Reconceptualization and Empirical Examination. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 18(1): 295–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell J., R. Dodder (1983) Types of Neutralization and Types of Delinquency. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 12(4): 307–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D.S. Nagin and R. Paternoster. Enduring Individual Differences and Rational Choice Theories of Crime. Law & Society Review, 27: 467–496, 1993.

  • Office of Technology Assessment (1986) Intellectual Property Rights in an Age of Electronics and Information. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

    Google Scholar 

  • Oz E. (1990) The Attitude of Mangers-to-be Toward Software Piracy. OR/MS Today, 17(4): 24–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Paradice D.J. (1990) Ethical Attitudes of Entry-level MIS Personnel. Information & Management, 18(3): 143–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A.G. Peace A Predictive Model of Software Piracy Behaviour: An Empirical Validation. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburg, 1995

  • Peace A.G. (1997) Software Piracy and Computer-using Professionals: A Survey. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 38(1): 94–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Peace A., D. Galletta, J. Thong (2003) Software Piracy in the Workplace: A Model and Empirical Test. Journal of Management Information Systems, 20(1): 153–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahim M.M., A.H. Seyal, N.A. Rahman (1999) Software Piracy among Computing Students: A Bruneian Scenario. Computers and Education, 32: 301–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramakrishna H.V., R.B. Kini, B.S. Vijayaraman (2001) Shaping of Moral Intensity Regarding Software Piracy in University Students: Immediate Community Effects. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 41(4): 47–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid R.A., J.K. Thompson J.M. Logsdon (1992) Knowledge and Attitudes of Management Students Toward Software Piracy. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 33: 46–51

    Google Scholar 

  • RIAA, The NET Act. Recording Industry Association of America, 2000.

  • Sacco V.F., E. Zureik (1990) Correlates of Computer Misuse: Data from a Self-Reporting Sample. Behavior and Information Technology, 9: 353–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D.A. Seale, M. Polakowski, and S. Schneider. It’s Not Really Theft! Personal and Workplace Ethics that Enable Software Piracy. Communication Abstracts, 21(4), 1998.

  • SIIA, Classification of Software. Software & Information Industry Association, 1999.

  • Simpson P.M., D. Banerjee, C.L. Simpson Jr. (1994) Softlifting: A Model of Motivating Factors. Journal of Business Ethics, 13(6): 431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sims R.R., H.K. Cheng, H. Teegen (1996) Toward a Profile of Student Software Piraters. Journal of Business Ethics, 15(8): 839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner B.F., Anne M. Fream (1997) A Social Learning Theory Analysis of Computer Crime among College Students. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 34: 495–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Solomon and J.A. O′Brien. The Effect of Demographic Factors on Attitudes Toward Software Piracy. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 30(3): 40–46, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  • W.R. Swinyard, H. Rinne, and A. Keng Kau. The Morality of Software Piracy: A Cross-cultural Analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 9: 655–664, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sykes G., D. Matza (1957) Techniques of Neutralization: A Theory of Delinquency. American Sociological Review, 22: 664–670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor G. Stephen, J.P. Shim (1993) A Comparative Examination of Attitudes Toward Software Piracy among Business Professors and Executives. Human Relations, 46(4): 419–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thong J.L., C.S. Yap (1998) Testing an Ethical Decision-making Theory: The Case of Softlifting. Journal of Management Information Systems, 15(1): 213–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Q.C. Thurman, Deviance and the Neutralization of Moral Commitment: An Empirical Analysis. Deviant Behavior, 5: 291–304, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevor M., D. Gurpreet (2000) Software Piracy: A View from Hong Kong. Association for Computing Machinery. Communications of the ACM, 43(12): 88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler T.R. (1996) Compliance with Intellectual Property Laws: A Psychological Perspective. International Law and Politics, 29: 219–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong E.Y.H. (1995) How Do We Teach Computer Ethics? A Short Study done in Hong Kong. Computers and Education, 25(4): 179–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong G., A. Kong, S. Ngai (1990) A Study of Unauthorized Software Copying among Post-secondary Students in Hong Kong. The Australian Computer Journal, 22(4): 114–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood W., R.S. Glass (1995) Sex as a Determinant of Software Piracy. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 36(2): 37–40

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida Atlantic University, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL, 33458-2906, USA

    Sameer Hinduja

Authors
  1. Sameer Hinduja
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sameer Hinduja.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hinduja, S. Neutralization theory and online software piracy: An empirical analysis. Ethics Inf Technol 9, 187–204 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-007-9143-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-007-9143-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation