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11
COMPUTING AND ETHICS
Learning Objectives
11.1 Intellectual Property 11.2 Protection of Individual’s Right to Privacy
11.3 Protection Against Spam 11.4 Software Piracy
11.5 Cybercrime 11.6 Hacking
11.7 Malicious Intent and Code 11.8 Good Etiquette Practices
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with moral ideologies. It directly addresses the decisions people make in
real life and is always concerned with the morals of society and the individuals living in it. It came from the Greek
word “ethos”, which means “custom” or “character”. In other words, it is the person’s character and behaviour that
define how a person makes decisions in life.
In real life, ethical lessons start early in our childhood when our parents and guardians teach us moral values.
These values help us to be good and respectful people in society. Ethics play an important role in every field of our
lives. It helps us to analyse situations and determine whether a given scenario is right or wrong. This is true even
in the field of Information Technology.
With the development of information technology, many important processes have shifted to online platforms.
For example, business meetings, financial transactions and information transfer. Although moving to an online
platform makes these processes more convenient, it also introduces certain challenges, such as increased risks to
personal privacy.
To use the services of Information Technology fruitfully, we must be very aware of its disadvantages and misuses.
The users should be aware of different words such as spam, cybercrime, hacking, piracy, etc. In this chapter, we
will explore how ethics play a role in our digital lives.
11.1 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Intellectual property refers to creations that originate from the intellectual efforts of an individual or group.
Intellectual property rights grant exclusive rights to the rightful owner of various types of creations, such as
musical, artistic, and literary works. These rights are not limited to inventions; they also apply to new discoveries
and innovations. Some examples of intellectual property are as follows:
1. Scientific Innovations such as a theory, discovery, invention, software, etc.
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