Computers, Information Technology, the Internet, Ethics, Society and Human Values

Philip Pecorino, Ph.D.

Queensborough Community College,  CUNY

Chapter 5 Intellectual Property

Case-Presentation

A company sets a group of programmers to a rather large task in developing a set of interrelated programs to handle various activities of the company.  The programmers look at the software available on the market as they go about their work and find a rather useful set of instructions or program contained in a software program readily available for sale in the market place.  They are thinking of using those instructions (the code) in their own program. 

What harm is there in that?  Is there anything morally incorrect in their doing so?

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Web Surfer's Caveat: These are class notes, intended to comment on readings and amplify class discussion. They should be read as such. They are not intended for publication or general distribution. ppecorino@qcc.cuny.edu                @copyright 2006 Philip A. Pecorino                       

Last updated 8-2006                                                              Return to Table of Contents