Preventive and Deterrent Controls for Software Piracy.

Author List: Gopal, Ram D.; Sanders, G. Lawrence;

Journal of Management Information Systems, 1997, Volume 13, Issue 4, Page 29-47.

In an attempt to protect their intellectual property and compete effectively in an increasingly dynamic marketplace, software publishers have employed a number of preventive and deterrent controls to counter software piracy. Conventional wisdom suggests that reducing piracy will force consumers to acquire software legitimately, thus increasing firm profits. We develop an analytical model to test the implications of antipiracy measures on publisher profits. Our results suggest that preventive controls decrease profits and deterrent controls can potentially increase profits. Empirical results are also presented that support the proposition on the impact of deterrent controls on the extent of software piracy derived from the analytical model.

Keywords: computer ethics; economics of software; information systems controls; software piracy; software pricing.

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List of Topics

#201	0.340	piracy goods digital property intellectual rights protection presence legal consumption music consumers enforcement publisher pirate producers policies copyright provision profits
#232	0.147	software development product functionality period upgrade sampling examines extent suggests factors considered useful uncertainty previous called complementarities greater cost present
#280	0.145	control controls formal systems mechanisms modes clan informal used internal literature outsourced outcome theory configuration attempts evolution authority complementary little
#191	0.122	model models process analysis paper management support used environment decision provides based develop use using help literature mathematical presented formulation
#51	0.112	results study research experiment experiments influence implications conducted laboratory field different indicate impact effectiveness future participants evidence test controlled involving