1.
Larsson, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
Law, Norms, Piracy and Online Anonymity – Practices of de-identification in the global file sharing community
2012
Ingår i: Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing: Special Issue on Digital Piracy. - : Emerald. - 2040-7130. ; 6:4, s. 260-280
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study is to better understand online anonymity in the global file-sharing community in the context of social norms and copyright law. The study describes the respondents in terms of use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or similar services with respect to age, gender, geographical location, as well as analysing the correlation with file-sharing frequencies. Design/methodology/approach This study, to a large extent, collected descriptive data through a web-based survey. This was carried out in collaboration with the BitTorrent tracker The Pirate Bay (TPB), which allowed us to link the survey from the main logo of their site. In 72 hours, we received over 75,000 responses, providing the opportunity to compare use of anonymity services with factors of age, geographical region, file-sharing frequency, etc. Findings Overall, 17.8 per cent of the respondents used a VPN or similar service (free or paid). A core of high-frequency uploaders is more inclined to use VPNs or similar services than the average file sharer. Online anonymity practices in the file-sharing community depend on how legal and social norms correlate (more enforcement means more anonymity). Research limitations/implications The web-based survey was in English and mainly attracted visitors on The Pirate Bay’s web site. This means that it is likely that those who do not have the language skills necessary were excluded from the survey. Practical implications This study adds to the knowledge of online anonymity practices in terms of traceability and identification, and therefore describes some of the conditions for legal enforcement in a digital environment. Social implications This study adds to the knowledge of how the Internet is changing in terms of a polarization between stronger means of legally enforced identification and a growing awareness of how to be more untraceable. Originality/value The scale of the survey, with over 75,000 respondents from most parts of the world, has likely not been seen before on this topic. The descriptive study of anonymity practices in the global file-sharing community is therefore likely unique.
2.
De Kaminski, Marcin, et al.
(författare)
Studying Norms and Social Change in a Digital Age: Identifying and Understanding a Multidimensional Gap Problem
2013
Ingår i: Social and Legal Norms: Towards a Socio-legal Understanding of Normativity. - London : Routledge. - 9781409453437 - 9780367601225 - 9781315609416 ; , s. 309-330
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat) abstract
The fact that the debate concerning copyright in a digital society has been both intense and filled with polemic conflicts ever since the late 1990s makes it clear that it is a most complicated issue to solve, or even grasp. Basically, both the legal and societal discussion and development are explicitly dependent on a greater understanding of the on-going processes surrounding copyright. This presents a well-suited point of departure for research such as the one conducted within the Cybernorms research group – both in terms of providing valuable insights into the field of sociology of law when it comes to understanding how to relate to the framework provided by digitalization in general and the Internet in particular, and in terms of providing more accurate knowledge and toolsets to legislators in related fields.
3.
Larsson, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
Online Piracy, Anonymity and Social Change – Deviance Through Innovation
2012
Ingår i: Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. - : SAGE Publications. - 1748-7382 .- 1354-8565. ; , s. 1-20
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
This article analyses current trends in the use of anonymity services among younger Swedes (15-25) and focuses on individuals engaging in illegal file sharing in order to better understand the rationale behind both file sharing as well as online anonymity, especially in relation to enforcement of copyright. By comparing the findings of a survey conducted on three different occasions (early 2009, late 2009 and early 2012), we measure the fluctuations in the use of anonymity services among approximately 1,000 15-25-year olds in Sweden, compare them to file sharing frequencies and, to some extent, trends within legal enforcement. The article also suggests that the key to understanding any relationship between copyright enforcement and fluctuations in online anonymity can be found in the law’s relationship to social norms in terms of legitimacy by showing a correlation between file sharing frequency and the use of anonymity services. The findings indicate that larger proportions of frequent file sharers (downloaders) also use anonymity services more often than those who file share less. However, in comparison to the earlier surveys, the strongest increase in the use of anonymity services is found in the groups where file sharing is less frequent, suggesting that reasons for actively making oneself less traceable online other than avoiding copyright enforcement have emerged since the initial two surveys in 2009. Further, the overall increase (from 8.6% to 14.9%) in using anonymity services found for the whole group of respondents suggests both that high file sharing frequency is a driver for less traceability as well as a larger trend for online anonymity relating to other factors than mere file sharing of copyright infringing content – for example, increased governmental identification, data retention and surveillance in the online environment. The results are analysed in Merton’s terminology as file sharers and protocol architects adapting in terms of both innovation and rebellion in the sense that institutional means for achieving specific cultural goals are rejected. This means, to some extent, participating in or contributing to the construction of other means for reaching cultural goals.
4.
Larsson, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
Parallel Norms: File-sharing and Contemporary Copyright Development in Australia
2014
Ingår i: Journal of World Intellectual Property. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1747-1796 .- 1422-2213. ; 17:1-2, s. 1-15
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
This article studies contemporary Australian copyright and contrasts this to a large-scale online survey on file sharing in order to analyse the seemingly parallel and non-compliant legal and social norms that they represent. Furthermore, a selection of 3,575 Australian respondents to an online survey is compared to a large scale near global group of over 96,000 respondents, allowing determining distinctive traits of the Australian respondents. For example, the latter use offline methods for sharing and receive rather than distribute content to a higher extent in comparison to the global group of respondents. Furthermore, Australian respondents also have slightly less predominance of male sharers.
5.
Larsson, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
The Digital IP Challenge Revisited – File-sharing and Copyright Development in Hungary
2014
Ingår i: The WIPO Journal. - 2041-2029. ; 5:2, s. 176-188
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The emphasis here is the need to understand both the normative gap and the role of digital architecture in order to display the inherent challenge that copyright meets in a digital society. Consequently, in being a descriptively focused study, this article studies contemporary Hungarian copyright and contrasts this to the findings from a survey with over 500 respondents from the Hungarian file-sharing community. In addition, this sample of Hungarian file-sharers is also compared to the findings from a near global sample of over 96,000 respondents to allow for determining distinctive traits of the Hungarian respondents. The findings indicate that due to their specific language, Hungarians are more motivated to set up and run their own darknet sites where copyrighted contents – mainly movies and TV-shows – are available not only in original releases, but with Hungarian translations as well. The popularity of darknet sites is similarly due to their special focus on different subject matter and categories. It is also salient that as long as the main darknet torrent-indexing sites are running, their users are not required to subscribe to VPN services and hide themselves via technological measures from the eyes of the right-holders and the police. The key motivation for file-sharers in Hungary seems to be its cost-free nature. As long as the price of copyrighted contents is high compared to the average income, Hungarians will not be motivated to use subscription models or purchase works in hard copies. File-sharing, therefore, seems to represent resistance to the pricing models of works rather than any expression of political opinion (as is the case with many “pirates”).
6.
Social Innovation in a Digital Context.
2014
Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (populärvet., debatt m.m.) abstract
This book summarizes the project work of the very first batch of participants of Lund University’s international Social Innovation in a Digital Context programme, financed by the Swedish Institute. The programme targets human rights activists in a position from which they can initiate projects of change in their home countries in the area of social innovation. During the programme all participants initiate a change project using the knowledge and skills obtained during the programme and using digital technology. This book contains reports on projects aimed at creating sociopolitical improvement in Algeria, Gaza, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Tunisia.
7.
8.
Svensson, Måns, et al.
(författare)
Kränkningar, trakasserier och hot på nätet. Delrapport till Ungdomsstyrelsen med fokus på kvantitativ kartläggning.
2013
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Den här delrapporten utgår från empirisk data som samlats in inom ramen för det rättssociologiska forskningsprojektet Kränkningar i en digital kontext som finansieras av Brottsofferfonden. Bearbetningen har genomförts av Måns Svensson (projektansvarig) och Karl Dahlstrand, båda verksamma vid Rättssociologiska institutionen vid Lunds universitet. Rapporten har sammanställts på uppdrag av Ungdomsstyrelsen och skall utgöra ett kunskapsunderlag till myndighetens regeringsuppdrag (U2013/4492/UC) Uppdrag att genomföra insatser mot kränkningar, trakasserier och hot via internet och andra interaktiva medier.
9.
Svensson, Måns, et al.
(författare)
Nätkränkningar: en studie av svenska ungdomars normer och beteenden
2014
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Den här rapporten utgår från empirisk data som samlats in inom ramen för det rättssociologiska forskningsprojektet Kränkningar i en digital kontext som finansieras av Brottsofferfonden. Bearbetningen har genomförts av Måns Svensson (projektansvarig) och Karl Dahlstrand, båda verksamma vid Rättssociologiska institutionen vid Lunds universitet. Rapporten har sammanställts på uppdrag av Ungdomsstyrelsen och skall utgöra ett kunskapsunderlag till myndighetens regeringsuppdrag (U2013/4492/UC) Uppdrag att genomföra insatser mot kränkningar, trakasserier och hot via internet och andra interaktiva medier. Inom ramen för uppdraget skall Ungdomsstyrelsen genomföra insatser för att förebygga kränkningar, trakasserier och hot som riktas mot flickor och pojkar samt unga kvinnor och unga män via internet och andra interaktiva medier. Uppdraget ska genomföras utifrån ett jämställdhetsperspektiv vilket bl.a. innebär att flickors och unga kvinnors situation och behov särskilt ska uppmärksammas. Ungdomsstyrelsen ska också beakta internets betydelse för yttrandefriheten och den demokratiska debatten.
10.
