computer ethics professional ethics and all of us ...€¦ · • computer ethics today is now a...

Ethics and Professionalism

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COMPUTER ETHICS

Professional Ethics

and all of us

• Advancement of technology brings new ethical

dilemmas/questions

• This presentation focuses on computer ethics and

you and society


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Ethics

• eth•ic Pronunciation: (eth'ik), [key] —n. 1. the body of moral principles or values governing or distinctive of a particular culture or group: the Christian ethic; the tribal ethic of the Zuni. 2. a complex of moral precepts held or rules of conduct followed by an individual: a personal ethic.

• Webster’s Dictionary

http://www.infoplease.com/pronkey.html


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Ethics and Software

• Who is responsible?

• Who is affected?

• Should Computing Professionals be in the ethics business?

• What about issues in – Development

– Implementation

– Application


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Ethical Behaviors?

– Is your 1 terabyte hard drive full? • Music and videos

– That sure is a great music where did you get it? What about the movies?

• Downloading of content from the web – Have you given a friend a copy of your Microsoft Project

software? • Software Piracy

– Did you read the confidential company file that was accidentally attached to your email?

• Computer abuse – Did you gain access to the network and invade other

people’s emails and files? • Computer abuse

– You formatted your hard drive prior to leaving your company because you were angry about leaving.

• Destruction of property


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Ethics and Software – let’s ask it again --

• Who is responsible?

• Who is affected?

• Should Computing Professionals be in the ethics business?

• What about issues in – Development of software

– Implementation of software

– Application of software


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The Ten Commandments of Computer

Ethics

• Written by the Computer Ethics Institute

• http://cpsr.org/issues/ethics/cei/

http://cpsr.org/issues/ethics/cei/


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Challenges:

Code of Ethics

• There is a Software Engineering Code of Ethics – http://www.acm.org/about/se-code#short

– http://www.acm.org/about/se-code#full

– It has been adopted by the IEEE Computer Society and the ACM

• The IEEE also has adopted a Code of Ethics

– http://www.ieee.org/portal/site/iportals/template.pageController/index.html?pageID=iportal_print_only&file=iportals/aboutus/ethics/code.xml&xsl=gcprint.xsl

http://www.acm.org/about/se-code






http://www.ieee.org/portal/site/iportals/template.pageController/index.html?pageID=iportal_print_only&file=iportals/aboutus/ethics/code.xml&xsl=gcprint.xsl




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Things to Think About --

• Computer ethics today is now a global effort – The gap among the rich and poor nations, rich and poor citizens

exists. How can it be eliminated or reduced eithically and morally to provide information and services that will move them to into the world of cyberspace?

– Will the poor be cut off from job opportunities, education, entertainment, medical care, shopping, voting - because they cannot afford a connection to the global information network?

– Whose laws will apply in cyberspace when hundreds of countries are incorporated into the global network?

• What happened? Do we know right from wrong any more? – Are we missing an opportunity to introduce ethics at an early age

in children by not integrating these thoughts and practices in video games?

– Should more controls and regulations be introduced into the system? Will they actually help to improve our moral and ethical behavior?

• Unethical behavior continues to permeate industry, what measures, policies, codes of conduct be changed to change this behavior?


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COMPUTER ETHICS for you (and all of us)

THE QUESTIONS:

1. Can I print copies of online material?

2. Can I store on my personal PC files that I find elsewhere?

3. Can I download a webpage and give a printed copy of it to a friend?

4. Can I incorporate files found elsewhere into my own webpage (or document)?

5. Can I alter files and make those files available online (or in a document)?

6. Can I excerpt material and distribute those excerpts?

Files = text files, graphics, pictures, images, etc.


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THE FUNDAMENTALS

Copyright Basics

• Foundation is Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of U.S.

Constitution: The Congress shall have power…To promote the Progress of Science

and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and

Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writing and

Discoveries.

• Copyrights are granted to authors and artists to

protect intellectual property and retain due

compensation (and promote creativity)


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COPYRIGHT BASICS

What is Protected?

• Copyrights typically pertain to a written document

(including all graphics, etc); compare patents and

trademarks

• All published works (books, magazines, etc)

• All work on the Internet (because that is publishing),

including emails

• Must be tangible (spoken words can not be

copyrighted!)


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COPYRIGHT BASICS

What is Not Protected?

Public domain works: – Includes all material with an expired copyright

– Includes any material (such as online work) that includes a specific statement such as “I grant this to the public domain”

• Are copyright notices (i.e., © or “all rights reserved”) required for a work to be protected?

No, not since April 1989 in the U.S.

Facts may not be copyrighted


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COPYRIGHT BASICS For How Long?

• Copyrights lasted 14 years in 1792 (and could be

renewed for an additional 14 years)

• In last 40 years, this period has been extended 11

times

• Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998

extended it to life of author plus 70 years (95 years

if copyright owned by corporation).

– Disney Corporation spearheaded this law because Mickey

was scheduled to enter the public domain in 2004


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INTERNET Personal Use

• Given that online material is always copyrighted, in

order to use this material, you must:

– Get specific permission from the owner of the copyright;

(or)

– The webpage (or part thereof) must grant explicit

permission for others to use

• Some websites (i.e., author) grant explicit

permission for use provided no compensation is

received


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INTERNET

What does “use” mean?

1. Can I print copies of online materials? Yes, so long as it is for personal use (one copy fine; but not for reuse in

your document)

2. Can I store on my PC files found elsewhere? Yes, provided they are not distributed

3. Can I download a web page and mail a print copy

to a friend?

No, this is duplication and distribution. Unless webpage gives

explicit permission to distribute, you cannot. You can send your

friend the URL which is legal (the author thus retains control over

the site).


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COPYRIGHT What Happens?

– Current law makes copyright violation a felony provided it involves more than ten copies with a value over $2500

– Almost all cases that go to court, however, end up in civil court (not criminal court)

• Frequently, the purpose is to remove the offensive material from the website

• Sometimes compensation and damages are assessed

– Note: plagiarism is not illegal (except as it pertains to copyright) it's unethical, but not illegal


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COPYRIGHT The Compensation Issue

Is it OK to use another file (say for my own document

or webpage) so long as I don’t make money from it?

No. Legally, since it doesn’t belong to you, you may not use it

without permission. Why?

– You may deprive the real owner of profiting from it

– The owner no longer maintains control

• Example: Napster

• Compensation does become important in some civil

suits (for damages, not guilt)


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INTERNET

Publishing on the Web

4. Can I scan in or copy a file (such as a picture) and

use it on my personal website?

No, it belongs to the author/owner. You can put in a

hyperlink to the author’s website (letting the author retain

control), or get the author’s permission.

5. Can I alter text files and make those files available

online?

Maybe. You must acknowledge the source and extent of

altering; beware of plagiarism.


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INTERNET

Publishing on the Web

6. Can I significantly alter a picture (or other artwork)

and present it as my own?

No, the law is quite clear about photos and artwork. You

may use it with permission or through acknowledgement;

you are only permitted to resize it, however.

Exception: the “look and feel” of a computer screen is

not protected by copyright and can be freely used. Thus

(so long as you replace all the content) you may retain all

of the html commands that make up a webpage and use it

w/o permission.


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COPYRIGHT

Fair Use Guidelines

– Any copyrighted material can be used without

permission under certain circumstances • To academically excerpt from the material

• To criticize the material (so movie critics do not need

permission to add a film clip)

• To parody the work

– These guidelines are not based on specific law,

but on court interpretations (typically on free

speech)


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COPYRIGHT

Fair Use Guidelines

• Examples of Fair Use (other than criticism or

parody):

– Recording a TV program on your VCR to watch later;

– Copying a song to a CD or MP3 player, provided you

purchased the CD from which you are making a copy

– Use of excerpted material in teaching a class

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