Ch 8

Four major categories of issues: ❖ Information rights ❖ Property rights ❖ Governance ❖ Public
safety and welfare

The four major categories of issues you mentioned are:

1. Information Rights: Information rights refer to the rights and concerns surrounding the collection,
use, storage, and dissemination of personal information. In the digital age, issues such as privacy,
data protection, surveillance, and cybersecurity come under this category. Questions may arise
regarding the balance between individual privacy and the need for access to information for security
or commercial purposes.
2. Property Rights: Property rights encompass the legal and ethical questions surrounding ownership
and control of tangible and intangible assets. In the context of the digital era, this includes issues
such as intellectual property rights, copyright infringement, patents, trademarks, and the fair use of
digital content. Challenges arise in determining how to protect creators' rights while also fostering
innovation and the free flow of information.
3. Governance: Governance issues pertain to the regulation and oversight of digital technologies and
platforms. This includes questions of accountability, transparency, and regulation in areas such as
social media, online platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), and algorithms. Concerns may arise
regarding the concentration of power, the influence of technology companies, and the impact of
digital technologies on democratic processes.
4. Public Safety and Welfare: This category encompasses issues related to the safety and well-being
of individuals and society as a whole in the digital realm. It includes cybersecurity threats, online
harassment, cyberbullying, hate speech, misinformation, and the spread of harmful content. The
challenge lies in developing policies and mechanisms to protect users, promote digital literacy, and
ensure a safe and inclusive online environment.
 The process for analyzing ethical dilemmas can vary depending on the context and
complexity of the situation. However, here is a general outline that incorporates the
steps you mentioned:

1. Identify and clearly describe the facts: Start by gathering all the relevant information
about the situation. Clearly describe the facts, including the people involved, the actions
taken, and any other pertinent details. This step helps ensure a common understanding
of the situation.
2. Define the conflict or dilemma and identify the higher-order values involved:
Determine the ethical conflict or dilemma at hand. Consider the underlying values or
principles that are in tension or at stake. For example, it could involve a clash between
honesty and loyalty, privacy and security, or individual rights and public welfare.
3. Identify the stakeholders: Identify all the individuals, groups, or organizations who are
directly or indirectly affected by the situation. This includes those who may benefit or be
harmed by the available options. Consider their interests, rights, and perspectives.
4. Identify the options that you can reasonably take: Brainstorm and list potential
courses of action that are available to you. This step involves thinking creatively and
considering both traditional and innovative solutions. Evaluate the feasibility and
practicality of each option.
5. Identify the potential consequences of your options: Assess the potential outcomes
and impacts of each option on the stakeholders and higher-order values identified
earlier. Consider both the short-term and long-term consequences. Reflect on the
ethical implications, fairness, and potential conflicts that may arise.

The candidate ethical principles you mentioned provide different perspectives and
frameworks for ethical decision-making. Here's a brief description of each principle:

1. Golden Rule: This principle is based on the idea of treating others as you would like to
be treated. It emphasizes empathy and considering the impact of your actions on
others. The Golden Rule suggests that you should act ethically by considering how your
decisions would affect others and striving to treat them with fairness and respect.
2. Universalism: Universalism focuses on the idea of applying ethical principles
consistently across all situations and treating all individuals equally. It suggests that
ethical decisions should be based on universal principles or rules that can be applied
universally, regardless of personal preferences or circumstances.
3. Slippery Slope: The Slippery Slope principle warns about the potential negative
consequences that can arise from taking an initial action that may lead to a series of
increasingly unethical actions. It emphasizes the importance of considering the long-
term effects and potential ethical implications of decisions, even if the initial action may
seem harmless.
4. Collective Utilitarian Principle: The Collective Utilitarian Principle involves maximizing
overall happiness or utility for the collective or society as a whole. It suggests that
ethical decisions should be based on what will result in the greatest overall benefit or
well-being for the largest number of people.
5. Risk Aversion: Risk aversion is the principle of minimizing or avoiding risks, particularly
when the potential negative consequences are significant. It suggests that ethical
decision-making should prioritize caution and minimizing harm, even if it means
sacrificing potential benefits or opportunities.
6. No Free Lunch: The No Free Lunch principle implies that there are no completely cost-
free options or actions. It emphasizes the need to consider and understand the potential
trade-offs, consequences, or hidden costs associated with any decision or action. It
encourages critical thinking and avoiding unrealistic expectations.
7. The New York Times Test: The New York Times Test is a hypothetical thought
experiment that involves considering whether you would be comfortable with your
decision or action being publicly disclosed and reported by a reputable news source like
The New York Times. It encourages ethical decision-making that can withstand public
scrutiny and maintains a positive public perception.
8. The Social Contract Rule: The Social Contract Rule refers to the idea that ethical
behavior is based on mutual agreements, norms, and expectations within a particular
society or community. It suggests that ethical decisions should consider the social
context, cultural values, and the implicit or explicit agreements that guide interactions
within a given society.

The three main types of protection you mentioned are:

1. Copyright: Copyright law protects original creative works such as literature, music, art,
films, and software. It grants the creator of a work exclusive rights to control its
reproduction, distribution, public performance, display, and creation of derivative works.
Copyright protection arises automatically upon the creation of a work, and it generally
lasts for the life of the author plus a specific period after their death.
2. Patent: Patent law protects inventions or novel and non-obvious ideas, processes,
products, or designs. It grants inventors exclusive rights to use, manufacture, sell, or
license their inventions for a limited period. Patents provide a legal monopoly and
 enable inventors to prevent others from making, using, or selling their patented
inventions without permission. To obtain a patent, inventors must disclose their
invention in a detailed and public patent application.
3. Trademark: Trademark law protects distinctive names, logos, symbols, phrases, or
designs that are used to identify and distinguish goods or services from others in the
marketplace. Trademarks provide exclusive rights to the owner to use the mark and
prevent others from using a similar mark that may cause confusion among consumers.
Trademark protection is obtained through registration with the appropriate intellectual
property office and can be maintained indefinitely as long as the mark is used and
properly protected.

Trademarks and the Internet

1. Cybersquatting: Cybersquatting refers to the act of registering, trafficking, or using a

domain name that is identical or confusingly similar to a well-known trademark or
brand, with the intention of profiting from the brand's reputation. Cybersquatters may
engage in activities such as selling the domain name to the rightful brand owner at an
inflated price or using the domain to divert traffic or tarnish the brand's image.
2. Brand-jacking: Brand-jacking is a term used to describe unauthorized use or
impersonation of a brand or company's identity, usually in digital or online spaces. It can
involve creating fake social media accounts, websites, or content that misleads
consumers and falsely represents the brand, often for malicious purposes such as fraud,
defamation, or spreading malware.
3. Cyberpiracy: Cyberpiracy refers to the unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted
material, such as software, music, or movies, on the internet. It involves infringing upon
the intellectual property rights of content creators or copyright holders by distributing
or reproducing their work without permission.
4. Metatagging: Metatagging involves adding hidden or invisible tags or keywords to a
website's HTML code. These tags are not visible to website visitors but are used by
search engines to determine the relevance and ranking of the webpage in search results.
Unethical metatagging practices may involve including popular or unrelated keywords
to artificially increase search engine visibility, even if they are not relevant to the actual
content of the webpage.
5. Keywording: Keywording refers to the strategic use of keywords or phrases within the
content of a webpage to optimize its visibility and ranking in search engine results. It
involves selecting and incorporating relevant keywords that users are likely to search for,
thereby increasing the chances of the webpage being displayed prominently in search
engine listings.
6. Linking and Deep Linking: Linking is the practice of connecting one webpage to
another by including hyperlinks. It allows users to navigate between webpages and is a
fundamental aspect of the internet. Deep linking specifically refers to linking to a
specific page or content within a website, bypassing the website's homepage. Deep
linking can be a useful way to provide direct access to specific information, but it may
raise concerns if done without permission or in a way that violates terms of use or
copyright.
7. Framing: Framing involves embedding or displaying content from one website within
the framework or structure of another website. It allows website owners to display
external content seamlessly within their own pages. However, framing can raise legal
and ethical issues if done without permission or in a way that misleads users about the
source of the content.

Net neutrality, also known as the Open Internet, is the principle that all internet traffic should
be treated equally, without discrimination or preferential treatment by internet service providers
(ISPs). It advocates for an open and level playing field where all online content, applications, and
services are treated equally, regardless of their source or type