Mary Morrison's Ethical Issue Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mary Morrison's Ethical Issue - Case Study Example This case study highlights the key issues concerning software piracy, the ethical dilemmas faced by the users, and the implications of indulging in software piracy. In the process, it also provides a comprehensive review of the rapidly deteriorating ethical beliefs and the negative impact of such acts on the society as a whole. Mary Morrison, a business student at Big State University was gifted a new PC by her parents. The computer had the basic Windows Operating system installed and no other software was provided with it. Mary being a student required Microsoft Office Suite software to assist her in her studies such as making spreadsheets and presentations. Since the computer had no such software installed, she was compelled to buy it instead. On inquiry it was found that the software she needed would cost her $199. Although Mary belonged to a financially well-off family, she faced financial difficulties due to the rising costs of education. She had a definite source of income from her job at a bookstore but she was saving money for her college trip and spending it on the software would hamper her plans to do so. Her friend Frank, offered to provide her with a pirated copy of the software she needed. Hence Mary was faced with a critical ethical dilemma - that of choosing to forego her moral values and us e the pirated software for free or use up her savings for the college trip and buy the legal copy of the software, and uphold her moral values instead. Software piracy is one of the most pressing issues in present times, and has of late become a global phenomenon costing the industry billions of dollars every year. Ever since the growth and expansion of the market for software there has been a simultaneous rise in the illegal sale and download of the same (Grabosky and Smith, 1998; Drahos and Braithwaite, 2002). The illegal sale and download of software tends to dissuade firms from