Law & Disorder / Civilization & Discontents

Survey: teens rely on parents to teach them about copyright

Most teenagers aren't familiar with the rules behind downloading copyrighted …

Nearly half of all teenagers have no familiarity with copyright laws and don't feel that the same type of punishment is necessary for illegally downloading media from the Internet as other types of theft. These findings came from a survey conducted by Microsoft, one which surveyed 501 seventh- through tenth-graders and examined their views on piracy. Only 11 percent of those surveyed said that they clearly understood the current rules for downloading music, movies, and other literature, and cited their parents as a main source of information on the rules behind downloading.

Given the above, it's not too surprising to hear that less than half of the group felt that some form of punishment was necessary for those who steal copyrighted content. Comparatively, 85 percent felt that stealing someone's mobile phone, DVD, or CD out of a locker was a punishable offense; that number rose to 90 percent when the theft of a bike was involved. Of those who did feel punishment for illegal downloads was appropriate, 24 percent felt that notifying parents and having "something" put on their permanent record would be fair, 13 percent said that probation and community service was the way to go and, eight percent said that juvenile detention was appropriate. Three percent took the humiliation route, suggesting thieves be exposed in a local newspaper and at school (no word on swirlies, purple nurples, or hertz donuts). 

Teens who did feel they had a good understanding of the rules were much less likely to flout copyright laws Microsoft said. Half of those who said they understood the laws of the land reported that their parents were their main source of information on copyright infringement (65 percent for younger teens), while TV, magazines, and newspapers came in a far second at 14 percent. Those knowledgeable about copyright were also more likely to think that illegal downloading should be punishable, with 82 percent saying that punishment should be required and another 28 percent feeling "strongly" about the issue.

The teens surveyed were more open to being educated about copyright than one would expect, though. In fact, a quick lesson on copyright guidelines (informing the group that downloading media usually involves paying a fee or gaining permission to use it, and that violations could involve significant fines) changed the opinions of a significant chunk of the group—72 percent. Considering that teenagers tend to lead the way in buying music online, pointing them in the right direction and giving them some way to pay for music legally (prepaid credit cards or gift cards for their favorite music stores) looks like a good idea.

Only about 28 percent said that they would continue to download and share copyrighted content without the owner's permission after being educated on copyright rules. Why? "Rock stars don't need the money," 40 percent of that group said.

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