Computer Hackers and Software Owners: The Ensuing Moral Controversy
Basirat A. Adenowo, Adetokunbo A. Adenowo · 2013
Global connections of computers otherwise known as the internet is a fast growing technology that seems to bring no limit into the world wide interactions via the computers. As the internet grows, a lot of moral and ethical issues crop up that calls for urgency in proffering solutions in order to curb their present and future implications in human life. One of the moral and ethical issues that affect global computer connections today is the issue of computer hacking. Software developers claim ownership of their programs due to economic reasons and emotional attachments. They seek legal protections in order to establish their claims. Also, computer hackers do break-in persistently into other people's software in order to gain unauthorised access. In this paper, ethical standards (philosophical and legal perspective) about this popular moral controversy between computer hackers and software owners are discussed based on evidences from literature. Computer hacking was reviewed from the utilitarian perspective, intellectual property rights were also discussed as it affects computer software, software owners were also considered in the realms of justice and fairness, implications of computer hacking to the society were as well highlighted, and finally the moral virtues of software owners were analysed. It was however revealed that hacker break-ins are unethical and have no moral basis in as much as appropriate intellectual property right is sought and well implemented. At the same time, software owners' proprietary should be checked to the barest minimum level. This will stop inhibiting technological advances among programmers and help promotes wide use of software by other professionals and general members of the society.