File-Sharers and Copyright-Infringers: Threat or Menace?

File-Sharers and Copyright-Infringers: Threat or Menace?
Whitney D. Gunter
November 2013

ISBN-13:  978-1-59332-722-4 / Hardcover
Dimensions:  5.5 x 8.5 / viii, 182 pages pages

Price   $67.00

Description

Whether you choose to call it file sharing, copyright infringement, or digital piracy, downloading non-licensed music, movies, software, and other forms of digital content is common worldwide. Despite the widespread nature of this phenomenon, much remains unknown about it. Is “digital piracy” truly having a negative impact on society? Does enforcement actually deter would-be downloaders? Gunter examines these issues, providing both an analysis of the historical aspects of copyright and of newly collected data on downloaders. His findings lead into a critique of the pros and cons of the current state of copyright law and enforcement.

About the Author

Whitney D. Gunter, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Western Michigan University. His interests include research methodology, statistics, criminological theory, sociology of the Internet, the media, and copyright issues. Gunter’s research has appeared in such venues as Deviant Behavior, Journal of Drug Issues, Journal of Early Adolescence, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and various other peer-reviewed journals.