ONLINE PIRACY: JAYWALKING OR THEFT?
Introduction
Online piracy is one of the most difficult problems to solution. Online piracy is the illegal downloading or copying of materials or intellectual property that are copyrighted. Intellectual property is an expression or knowledge owned by another individual. There are several forms of piracy that invade the online world – music, movies, software, and videogames.

The issues surrounding online piracy revolve on the difference between physical property and intellectual property. The videogame content is an intellectual property while the CD of the videogame is a physical property. Since piracy is a problem for most software companies and the entertainment industry, this has encompassed copyright violations. Copyright pertains to the legal right that serves as protection for works that have been created. A copyright provides the purchaser an exclusive right to produce copies of the intellectual property. The problem of online piracy gained attention during the period when Napster allowed internet users to exchange digital music files through the use of peer-to-peer technology. In 2000, Napster had over twenty million users. What made the site very controversial was the unlimited access that the users have to copyrighted music. The downloading of files was not realized as a means of practicing piracy. Stealing was never considered their ultimate purpose.

Major issues Brian Lee ordered a videogame which apparently did not function after he attempted to play. The videogame problem was linked to the system of digital rights management or DRM. DRM is used by company to protect the material from unauthorized copying and securely deliver the intellectual property in ways such as progressive download, streaming, subscriptions, and rentals. DRM controls the users’ manipulation of materials purchased. In this case,