Research shows that many individuals do not understand
what clearly violates copyright. For instance, a student loans
another student a CD-ROM containing software that cost $100.
The second student installs the software on his computer to
see if he likes it and would like to purchase it. This act is a
violation of copyright. Even if the student then uninstalls the
software after the test, it is still considered copyright violation.
Violation of software property rights is also known as piracy.
Access Ethical use of information includes the ability of all
people to access information in the public domain. The purpose
of public libraries is to provide the general public with access to
information, primarily in written form. Public libraries provide
equitable access, regardless of race, creed, age, gender, or
income level; of course, an overriding assumption is that the
general populace can read.
Online information access is challenged even more than
public libraries by the notion of universal access. First,
individuals attempting to access and use online information
must be educated enough to read, write, reason, and even
calculate. In other words, they must have at least a minimal
level of education; today, that minimum level is probably close
to a high-school education to be able to fully understand the
accessed content.