ETHICS AND LAW IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

2016
Content
1.Introduction

2.Problem to be solved

3.A historical perspective of the ethics

4.How law is applied in our study case?

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1.Introduction
In this essay we will cover some of the problems of ethics related to information in Distributed
Business Environment. A DBE (distributed business environment) can be described as an
environment in which two worlds live together, the real world in which the human factor is the
most important resource, and the virtual world in which the basic resource is information.

2.Problem to be solved:
Our study case will be based on the problems that could appear when one company will develop
a mobile game which require the users to introduce personal data like e-mail address, name and
surname and also the problems with copyright of the graphics used in the game. We will suppose
that the graphics will be made by an independent artist.

3.A historical perspective of the ethics

Economic, social and technological progress has generated the amplification of ethical issues,
both from the perspective of the individual and society. This explains the interest of
philosophers, sociologists, psychologist and others in ethical dilemmas, irrespective of their
nature.

The emergence of computers in the life of individuals, organizations and society has led to a new
field of ethics computer ethics, whose pioneer was Norbert Wiener (1948) and who considers
as ethically central three "great principles of justice" - The Principle of Freedom, The Principle
of Equality and The Principle of Benevolence (Wiener, 1954, pp. 105-106). Computer use and
work in the virtual space have laid their print on the autonomy of the person and solidarity,
generating adequate conditions for the selfish development of the individual and the promotion
of subjective ethical principles that plead for welfare, happiness or personal satisfaction and not
the collective one. In this context, the individual conscience is founded on the imperatives of
individual good and not on the imperatives of general good.

4.How law is applied in our study case?

Lets discuss first about the problems that could appear with the graphics used in the
game.

As a definition copyright could be defined as the lawful right of an author, artist,

composer or other type of creator to control the use of his or her work by others. Generally
speaking, a copyrighted work may not be duplicated, disseminated or appropriated by others
without creators permission. The public display or performance of copyrighted works is
similarly restricted.

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 The present Copyright Act dates from 1978, but copyright is an ancient doctrine, with its
roots in Elizabethan England. The framers of the Constitution authorized Congress to promote
the progress of science and the useful arts, by securing for limited times to authorsthe
exclusive right to their respective writings Today, copyright law goes far beyond writings
narrowly construed. It extends to literary, dramatic and artistic works, musical compositions and
computer programs.

Copyright is necessary to avoid the future problems that could appear with the
reproduction of the work, and also to control how the work is used and to make money from it if
others are willing to pay for its use. If our company wouldnt have a copyright on the graphics
used in the game, other rival company could use the same graphics and make an identical game
but with other mechanics and artificial intelligence or the artist could sell this graphics to other
companies.

Ordinarily, the creator of the graphics owns the copyright for it. However, our company
can sign a contract with the graphic artist. In this case the work is a work made for hire, and
the employer or the contracting party owns the copyright. Co-creators jointly own the copyright
in the work they create together. Another way to avoid any issues is that the company could buy
the copyright for the graphics from the graphic artist. Like any other property, a copyright can be
sold or given to someone else, who then becomes the owner of the copyright. A copyright is a
bundle of exclusive rights, which can be transferred separately or together. For example, in
signing a book contract, an author typically transfers or grants the publisher exclusive
publication rights.

A copyright owner can also retain the copyright but permit (or non-exclusively license)
others to exercise some of the owner's rights. For example, a photographer might permit the use
of one of her photographs on a book jacket. A shrink-wrap license accompanying a computer
program is another example of a non-exclusive copyright license.

Another issue that could appear is about privacy and data collection issues. Our game
may ask you to introduce personal data like name, surname, e-mail address and/or social network
account to share your results with your friends. Also the game may access other personal
information like your contact lists or e-mail contacts to send advertisement.

As is evident from recent lawsuits against Apple for breach of privacy, data storage and
privacy are becoming real concerns for end users. In Apples case specifically, the problem was
that it was storing location based data of end users in an unencrypted form and using it for
commercial purposes. While a monetary damage still needs to be established, failure to address
end users privacy concerns could negatively impact the Apps consumer support and sale.

These concerns regarding privacy and data protection can be addressed by drafting
effective terms of use and privacy policy statements that are reflective of the developers
consumer base and privacy practices. The terms of use and privacy statements should at a

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minimum include, what information is collected, how is it stored, how is it used by the
developer, whether the information is shared with third parties, how can the user opt out
providing such information, and contact information for end user complaints of the user data. If
the App does collect and share personal information, then the developer should get consent from
the end user for doing so.

Additional considerations will arise if the App collects financial, persona, or health data,
is targeted towards children, or further distributes this data to third parties, since specific laws
govern the use of such information. For example, if the App is a game targeted towards children
13 and younger, then the App will have to comply with Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act.
In addition, a number of states have their own regulations around privacy and data collection
activities.

2016