What does it mean to own a resource? Beyond the physical.
Over 20 years ago (back in the days of VHS) when Beauty and the Beast came out, my parents bought a copy for me from the toy store. I watched it so many times that it physically hurt me to share it with my cousins who promised they would return it the next weekend. Not having the tape gave me separation anxiety (I really loved that cartoon, and still do. Belle had a deep appreciation for books that other female Disney protagonists lack).
Cut to present day where video files are easily shared amongst one another through usb flash drives and a VHS is an object from a vintage 90's past.
A video that could only be shared between one household at a time is now replaced by an mp4 file that can be copied and duplicated onto multiple platforms. One object is physical and the other is a computer file, which while physical, is not tangible.
My Dad and I got into a discussion on the imbalance of ownership when downloading available content online (ebooks, movies, music, etc.)
He said downloading illegal movies or streaming them online is akin to physically stealing movies from a store. When I argued (to play devil's advocate, disclaimer: I completely agree with him) that movies online aren't tangible physical objects in the way movies at the store are i.e. a physical DVD is different from a file that one can simply torrent without consequence. My dad pointed out it is the ethics of the situation that come into play regardless of the form of the object, whereby principles of theft and illegal access to content remain the same.
What are the ethical implications for password sharing on Netflix? Would you share your password with a friend if they didn't want to pay for an account? Is ownership transferrable multiple times?
I see less people borrowing DVDs from the library because they stream movies online and have started sharing Netflix passwords with others to cut down on gas costs to come to the library.
The ways in which people access media in 2016 and how it affects public libraries' digital collections is worthy of a research paper.
Is it fair and honest to download movies online and share them with friends on USB? Some people argue that if it's available online that it's a form of open access. Others adamantly refuse to watch anything online unless they provide some form of payment (those are the true Internet heroes) and another group of people wonder whether it is possible to moderate the Internet fairly (I fall into this category).
Do we normalize the way we download digital resources we don't pay for that aren't legally open access?
There are some people who dislike the hustle and bustle of movie theatres (isn't obnoxious popcorn munching part of the movie experience?) and wait until a decent copy of a film is available online for them to watch. It isn't legal and they save the $12.99 fee, but it's become such a normalized process where ownership changes hands so many times that everyone has a piece of the seemingly endless pie. And the trouble is that it's available online, all the time.
The true nature of owning a digital resource depends on
a) the resource itself
b) how one came to acquire it
c) how one chooses to use it
d) whether one chooses to share it
~ Fareh
This was an awesome post that I can relate to. I don't have a Netflix account but one of my family member's does, and has thus shared it with the rest of our extended family. His justification: "Welp, I am paying for it so I want to get my money's worth". I understand his logic, but I don't ethically agree with the sentiment. To answer your question, I don't believe ownership is transferrable.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that when he logs into his account, there is a greeting in his name and even a list of recommendations based on shows and movies he has viewed. Sharing the account and password with other members of the family complicates the point of that entire feature. I know that it's not a big deal, but the way I see it, Netlix is being exploited - never mind the thousands of movies and shows.
I do want to add that I think that Netflix is a better platform to view shows and movies. By cutting away from the free pirate streaming available online, the public is accessing content legally.
Moreover, it supports the production and popularization of shows too - something that goes unnoticed. Kevin Spacey advocated for Netflix a few years back when the House of Cards series faced cancellation. He said, "Netflix was the only company that said, 'We believe in you. We've run our data, and it tells us our audience would watch this series."
Hi Madiha, I'm really glad you enjoyed the post! Honestly, the Netflix issue is so relevant at this point in time and I feel the crux of the problem is that it works both ways so easily.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe you are right and Netflix is being exploited when multiple folks share the same account and most of the time the user who is paying for Netflix is completely cool with sharing it with others though it doesn't justify the illegal sharing of passwords.
There are some e-resources that don't require payment at all, just the use of an active library card.
The Mississauga Library has something called Freegal - a combination of the words 'free' and 'legal' - an electronic resource which allows users to download 5 free songs a week, create playlists, listen to new music and browse various artists. And while it may be time consuming to build a library of songs when you are limited to 5 songs a week, it is heartening to see that it is possible to access free content legally.
Have a great day!
~ Fareh