Major Issues
There are four major issues in this case study. The first two major issues are directly related to the case. The third and fourth issues are indirectly related to the case. The first major issue is the need for the Video Game Company (“VGC”) to incorporate Digital Rights Management (“DRM”) software to all the products manufactured by the said firm. The purpose of the said DRM software is to protect the intellectual rights of the company. The second major issue is the right of Brian to receive purchased goods that are safe and have relative value. The addition of the DRM software rendered the product untenable and almost useless from the point of view of the customer.
The third major issue is not directly related to the problem of the DRM glitch. The third major issue is the perceived benefit of piracy when it comes to sharing of information to promote innovation, creativity, and improvements on products purchased through a legitimate process. The fourth major issue is the encompassing goal of the VGC to end all types of piracy.
The objective that Leads to a Solution
The primary objective is to help Brian navigate through the anti-piracy software without resorting to unethical solutions. The secondary objective is for VGC to provide quality service to the customer without violating the rules and regulations of the company.
Although it is important to resolve Brian’s ongoing problem, it is also imperative to look into the future and determine the long-term effects of piracy laws. Without a doubt, anti-piracy laws are needed to protect the interest of business owners, inventors, and creative people. However, there is a need to eradicate impractical laws that stifle the sharing of ideas.
Alternatives Contemplated
Brian was confronted with two choices. The first one was to download a “cracked” copy of the game. The “cracked” copy contains all the installer data needed to run the game minus the DRM software. Going through the said path is comparable to a journey through an ethical minefield. The act of downloading a “cracked” game is considered piracy from the point of view of VGC.
A secondary solution to the problem is to continuously monitor the progress of VGC’s support staff and wait for the delivery of the software patch that will hopefully solve the DRM issues. This is not a practical approach based on the progress made and the actions that were done to rectify the problem.
The third alternative is to establish an online community comprised of members who felt that they were victims of unscrupulous business strategies in relation to impractical anti-piracy initiatives. The main goal of the online community is to pressure VGC to provide high-quality service to its customers. The secondary purpose of the online community is to pressure government officials to come up with more practical laws regarding online piracy.
Alternatives Selected
Brian’s purchase of the video game from a legitimate source does not justify the illegal acquisition of a “cracked” game. On the other hand, VGC’s financial woes due to the effect of online piracy do not justify the company’s lackluster attitude regarding the need to fix the DRM issue. At the same time, VGC cannot afford to shift the blame to the online pirates. The company has a moral and legal responsibility to provide quality service to its customers.
Brian must comply with existing laws. However, this mindset should not prevent him from creating an online community to create some form of a multiplier effect in order to enhance his capability to pressure VGC. The second initiative must be directed to government officials because there is a need to overhaul current anti-piracy laws, specifically those that are related to intellectual property.
Implementation of Proposed Solution
An integrated presentation of personal values and beliefs with regards to anti-piracy laws
Brian must establish an online community because there is strength in numbers. Based on the answers given by the customer service representative of VGC, the company has taken him for granted. This assertion is based on the fact that Brian’s problems constitute only a fraction of the complaints registered at the company’s customer support center. Thus, Brian has to develop some form of leverage in order for VGC to either give him a refund or develop the appropriate patch that will solve the said software bug.
The secondary objective to pressure government officials to overhaul the current anti-piracy laws, specifically those that are related to Intellectual Property. In the past, the copyright to a particular creative work is only less than 40 years. In the present time, a video game’s copyright remains active 90 years after its creation.
Government officials and government regulators must examine the spirit of the law. In this particular case, the copyright laws were created to provide financial rewards for the inventor or the creator of a particular idea or product. The financial reward must be integrated into the said laws in order to encourage people to develop solutions to everyday problems. It is impossible to imagine Thomas Edison working hard and not rewarded handsomely for his efforts. On the other hand, it must be made clear that these inventors benefited from the work of other people. It is preposterous to say that Edison did not benefit from the works of Greek philosophers and ancient mathematicians who came before him. In other words, it is important to create a system where ideas can be shared freely.
The proliferation of open-source software is an example of how ideas must be shared to foster growth and innovation. Linux, the primary competitor of Microsoft is the brainchild of Linus Torvalds. This man created something great. He had the right to make money from his inventions. But he did not hide behind copyright laws. He decided to give away his invention.