THE ALLURE OF DIGITAL PIRACY: CONVENIENCE VS ACADEMIC COPYRIGHT IN CHINESE HIGHER EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v5i5.429Keywords:
higher education, digital piracy, cheating, academic integrity, copyright, pedagogyAbstract
This article explores if students in Chinese Higher Education (HE) understand the importance of academic intellectual property rights. It questions postgraduate scholars' perspectives regarding copyright and the stealing of eBooks online, debating whether they feel copyright and publisher pay walling conflicts with freedom of knowledge needed to learn. Copyright in China dates to the Song dynasty (960-1279), with a modern code to prevent intellectual property theft implemented in 1910, refined in 1928 and extended to cover works of foreigners. Yet, several studies indicate piracy is prevalent in China, via popular engagement with imitation luxury brands and bootleg digital material. This article, then, approaches this phenomenon by drawing insight from qualitative research undertaken through focus groups and ethnographic research with 103 postgraduates in a Sino-British Higher Education Institute (HEI) in China. The findings show students understood the importance of respecting intellectual property but noted a tension between following it and succeeding in their academic pursuits. The article concludes by suggesting that this insight can encourage Chinese HE policymakers to reflect on resource availability for students in Chinese HEIs.
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